Dancing on Glass
by VesperChan
Summary: Deep within the mountains lies a monster that many hate and many more fear. Her eyes are deep and bright and her hair is said to be the color of Cherry Blossoms. What will happen when she comes down? SakGar,Nar
1. Dawn of lies

"Lies" by Evanescences.

A pair of almond shaped emerald eyes shone fresh with tears as they gazed up at a cloudless sky filled with stars. A full lavender moon hung in the night's blanket, giving off a silver light. She blinked away her tears as they ran down her flawless pale skin. Sakura, a girl with cherry pink locks closed her eyes fighting back the burning pain the coursed through her veins and pulsed through the ornate black tattoos that covered her body. The tattoos seemed alive almost as the pulsed with her every heart beat. Ever since she could remember once a month they would appear, maybe to remind her that they were still there. They always came out on the full moon. The gnawed away her chakra and remaining strength. By morning she would be completely drained.

_Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear Sealed with lies through so many tears _

She sat with her legs pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them in a soft hug. She was sitting on a flat stone perched on the top of one of the smaller mountains that she called home. She was 12 and since she was 5 she had no other home that welcomed her like the mountains. Still she felt lonely, she felt lost almost.  
She used to live with her father in a village she log forgot but someone found out about her tattoos. Soon the fire of torches and the angry look that screamed murder drove her into the mountains. Ever since then she lived alone among the rocks. She wasn't really alone, she had all her animal friends but it wasn't the same. Her hands trailed over the handle of a small farming sickle. A farmer boy came up to the mountains to fight the 'monster' that dwelt within the stone. One look at her true form sent him running for his life.

_Lost from within, pursuing the end I fight for the chance to be lied to again _

She kept the weapon and trained with it for hours every day. She was a fighter, she was born and raised to be one. Her father was a harsh man that beat he every other night just for spite. He hated her and felt nothing else for his only child. He mother died in child birth so he blamed the tiny infant child for the death of his wife when all along it was his fault. He wanted a son to raise into a powerful warrior by he was cursed with his daughter Sakura. Still he trained her from an early age every day relentlessly. He put her through training that was meant for someone three times her age and beat her whenever she failed. She soon adapted to the pain and developed an emotionless mask she used every day. Still there was one thing he could always do that brought tears to her eyes. His words were the most powerful weapon in his arsenal. The stung more than a hundred of his worst beatings.

_You will never be strong enough You will never be good enough_

Sakura was a very beautiful girl for her age and everyone she meet on the street told her so. It became a ritual for her to wash her face six or seven times every day until her little arms grew sore. Her father told her she was an ugly, filthy and utterly disgusting creature that he hated having to see every day. After all the complements she received all it took was one insult from her father to believe him. When she came back from washing her face he would tell her to go back because she was still dirty and ugly to him. In training she was never good enough for him. He would whip her and yell at her hateful words that made her open her eyes to the tears inside. He told her she was week and ugly and that she would never change. She would never be good enough. He never loved her and he told her that he never would. After that he would walk back into the house and back to his sake.

_You were never conceived in love You will not rise above_

She soon grew hard on the inside as well as the outside. A mental wall surrounded her emotions that could withstand the longest stream of curses and insults aimed at her. Her sadness soon melted into anger and hatred. She would fight and she would train and one day, even if it killed her, she would be good enough. One day she would prove her father wrong. That became her inspiration, her motivation. She began to train without her father's help ever day until her small feeble body gave out. She trained through the icy winds and in the rain every day without fail. Even when she was sick she train, though not as hard. Her mind was advanced beyond her years as well. She devoured the knowledge in scrolls and books training her mind as well as her body.

_They'll never see I'll never be I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger Burning deep inside of me _

She remembered people looking at her on day as the twilight came into birth. The markings on her exposed arms were starting to appear. She turned on her heel and started to run. She could hear shouting behind her and ran faster. Something whizzed by her ear. A glimmer of light told her it was a kuni. She glanced behind her and saw a few of the village's ninja speeding after her. She ran. She ran hard and long. The tattoos on her arms seemed to enjoy her actions and for once give her strength instead of sapping it. She was faster the the ninja and soon felt shelter withing the rock of the smallest mountain. As soon as she settled down her strength turned into exhaustion and she fell over and fainted. The harsh winds of that night rolled over her body spraying her loose hair around her face.

_But through my tears breaks a blinding light Birthing a dawn to this endless night Arms outstretched, awaiting me An open embrace upon a bleeding tree _

She remembered that night she dreamed. In her dream she was in a garden filled with cherry blossoms. Someone was waiting for her on a stone bench. She couldn't see hi face but she could tell he was smiling at her. She walked over to him and climbed onto the bench beside him. She felt warm and peaceful around him. He smiled down at her and pulled her onto his lap in a hug. She had never been hugged before since her father refused to touch her unless he was hurting her and it felt good. She felt needed and loved. Then, to her surprise, she started crying and smiling at the same time. She never cried or smiled anymore since she created the mask and walls around her heart the protected her from her father.

_Rest in me and I'll comfort you I have lived and I died for you Abide in me and I vow to you I will never forsake you _

He spoke to her in comforting words telling her everything would be alright. Sakura didn't know who he was or anything about this man but the small pale girl felt could trust him and believed him. Resting her tiny pink haired head against his chest she let herself fall back into the never ending void of darkness that welcomed her every night when she closed her crystal green eyes in slumber. For the first time in all of her short life she felt truly safe and at peace. Up to the present day she still rememberer that dream or vision or whatever might be as clearly as if it were yesterday day the miracle happened. And in all honesty it was a miracle. If that dream hadn't happened she would have most likely killed herself. She knew how, she knew every nerve and pressure point in the human body and could kill herself in a heartbeat. The feeling of being so worthless and hated gnawed at her hear making her want to end it all. Death seemed to be the only way. Thankfully she didn't go through with it.

_They'll never see I'll never be I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger Burning deep inside of me _

The next day she traveled and traveled until she came to the foot of the tallest mountain. By then it was the end of the day and she was weary and in need of food and rest. She soon adapted to her surroundings, learning which roots were not poisonous and where the rain water pooled and formed little mountain lakes. She soon learned how to plant food and even how to use her chakra to speed the growth of her plants so that she could eat them the very day they were planted. She had many animal friends that would come to her for food and a scratch behind the head. The mountain goats that lived near buy especially loved her. There were a few birds in particular that built their nests around her home as if to guard her and watch out for her. They would fly down an land on her head or shoulder and go wherever she went.

_They'll never see I'll never be I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger Burning deep inside of me _T

he rocky terrain and harsh environment worked beautify in helping her train. She could run on an 90 degree angel and still keep her footing, a trick she learned from the mountain goats. She liked to jump off the edge and fall down flipping into an upright position at the last second, a trick she learned from some of the flightless birds the glided through the air. She could run faster and jump higher than any other ninja thanks to her slim frame and light weight. In a storm with high winds and cold rains it was a work out just to survive while standing in one place.

_Rest in me and I'll comfort you I have lived and I died for you Abide in me and I vow to you I will never forsake you _

There was a small pool in one of the larger mountains that kept it's self heated even in the winter. That was her favorite spot to just lay back and relax. There she could let all her worries slip away. This was very close to where she close to live most of her life since it was a good distance away from the village. A lot of times when she lived in the smaller mountains villagers would come and camp in her mountains. She didn't like seeing them there she she would scare them off. After a year the number of travelers and villagers dropped drastically. Unfortunately they didn't stop completely. What's worse still was that the villagers that did come came to hunt and kill the 'monster' of the mountain or in other words her. She never killed anyone and never had to do much more that look at hem to scare them off. Most of the time she hid until they left.

_They'll never see I'll never be I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger Burning deep inside of me_

Sakura sighed and let her arms drop to her side. Her over sized white shirt she was wearing hung loosely around her shoulders. Her feet were bare and a pair of black shorts was all she wore. She had other clothes from some of the villagers that left their garments behind but wore the more comfortable ones at night. The pain around her was reaching it's peek as she sensed the moon falling away. Soon the sun would rise and she would fall into that same dark slumber that haunted her every full moon. She crawled down the mountain path into a small dug out hold she used as a bed. There she was safe from the sun's chromatic rays. She lay her head down on a bed of bird feathers and closed her eyes welcoming the deep black oblivion the greeted her.

_They'll never see I'll never be I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger burning deep inside of me_

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Cha! I'm done! So this will be the first chaper of a lot more to come if ya'll like it. Also I don't know wht kind of animal I should use for Sakura's "_true form_" ooo lame I know.


	2. Exodus

Here it is, chapter two! Oooo, Awwww. Please please please review it keeps me going. If the reviews stop so dose this story. Since a lot of people seemed to like wolves I'm using a wolf for her true form. (just read it) This chapter is a bit longer but I think it's better than the first one. Warning this chapter has blood and fighting.Again please read and review even if you don't like it. Flames are welcome to keep me warm in my cold dark celler. I don't own Naruto...duh. picks up pop corn Enjoy!

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The sun's rays spilled over the mountain exposing all the shadows on the west side as it descended down the heavens. The girl with cherry pink locks stumbled slowly thought the tunnels taking a turn ever now and then. Every nook and turn of her mountain was safely bored away in her memory. 

Her eyes were mostly black now with a thin sliver of green along the edges from the heavy darkness that hung around her. She could barely see but it didn't matter that much to her. She was used to the dark and it didn't bother her as much as it used to. Her slim pale hands trailed over the smooth cold stone as the floor beneath her tilted upward. Her hair was tied back in a tight braid the way it always was and she was wearing a black spandex body suite with a dark red jacket she 'confiscated' from a wanna be monster slayer. As always her feet were bare since she never wore shoes.

Her pupils shrunk once she reached the end of the cave and stepped into the evening glow. She sniffed the air and growled slightly. There were two unfamiliar scents she could easily detect. They were human...powerful human...very powerful. Her full red lips bent into a scowl as a pair of bright white fangs overlapped her bottom lip. Aside from their smell their chakra levels were very high. Higher than her own without Okami's help.

She crawled nimbly over a set of gaged rocks and stared down at two figures climbing up the mountain trail. They both wore a green vest over their clothing and a headband with a note symbol in the middle. They were Jonin from the hidden sound village. The small herb village must have hired them to get rid of the 'monster' that dwelt withing the mountain. Her scowl deepened. She was no fool to the shinobi villages that surrounded her former non shinobi village. Sound was ruled by the snake man know to her as Orochimaru. What puzzled her was why the herb village would hire jonin from sound since the village was not to be trusted. Maybe they weren't hired, maybe they were there on a mission from their own Kage, Orochimaru.

Sakura was still week from her tattoo's draining ritual that plagued her every month so she couldn't fight them. But she had no choice, she had to. Crawling over the rocks as nimbly as a spider she slid into one of the inner chambers withing the mountain that was still very dark and released the mask over her chakra. She crouched in the ground with her legs bent and her head low. She could hear their footsteps drawing closer and braced herself.

It was a good thing she did. As soon as they entered her cave the one set off a explosion that knocked her off her feet and up against the back wall. She growled baring her fangs and cursed with in her own mind for not being ready for that. She got up again but was instantly knocked down to her knees when an ear splitting sound reached her ears. She shouted and covered her ears in a desperate attempt to block it out. The second man jumped towards her and grabbed her hands, bending them behind her back. The noise stopped and she felt a chain being clamped onto her wrists.

"Get off!" She snarled spreading her arms and throwing him over her head. He landed hard but got up quickly and advanced with his friend. Pain rippled through her body from their sound and physical attacks as she found herself once again at her knees. "I won't fall to this...I...I won't!" She screamed shattering the device that sounded the harsh melodies. A trickle of blood rolled down her ears.

Weekend from her scream and many more things she decided to retreat to another part of her mountain. Using her advanced speed she lept over the rocks and through the caves stumbling out into the moonlit night. Panting heavily she ran along on of the ledges heading for another unit she favored for battles and training. She cursed herself for her weakness as her heart beat faster within her chest.

When running something struck her foot making her loose her balance. She started to fall over the edge and in mid turn she saw one of the ninja retrieve a metal chain. The wind rushed behind her as she felt her body fall further down closing in with the ground. Her eyes widened at what she saw in the pal moonlight. Below her the rocks she would fall on were formed much like pikes with pointed edges. She looked up and saw the two ninja from before look down at her and regret their actions. Her hair wiped about her as she fell back onto the stone pikes three of them shoot up through her body as she landed . Blood lept from her mouth as her eyes grew dull before turning a voided black, her head and arms fell limply back. The rocky area around her was stained a dark and sinister looking crimson red.

The first ninja cursed profusely and kicked the dirt. "Orochimaru sama is going to kill us. He told us he wanted her alive. What are we going to tell him now?"

The second ninja remained silent for a time before speaking. "...We'll just tell him we didn't find her. She is after all regarded as a legend."

"Yeah but then we'll have to find the eight tailed _somewhere_ and if she's dead..."

"It doesn't matter, we'll just focus on capturing the nine and one tailed next. At least we found her first before someone else could capture her." The taller one quickly stated in a cold calm voice.

The second one cursed again kicking the rocks with his foot."Whatever, we better go." He grumbled. The taller on nodded in reply. In the blink of an eye the two were gone, hopping over the rocks with the pale moon frowning down on them.

A few moments later as the moon climbed the sky to shine it's light on the pale girl's resting place something snapped within her body. There were three pikes poking out of her body; one through her stomach, one through her heart and one through her lung. Several more cut her legs and arms. The pikes that went through her body cracked and crumbled letting her fall in between them in a bloody mess. The moon's rays crawled over her falling over her limp form when a spray of blood lept from her lips as her punctured hear began to beat again after healing in the moonlight. The numerous holes and cuts that covered her body began to hiss and heal themselves. Her eyes colored filled with life once again. She coughed and more blood pooled from her mouth. Her left lung pumped once and then again falling in sync with her heart. The hole in her stomach hiss as the skin an muscle began to grow over the hole sealing it like it was never there.

Completely healed she sat up ad closed her eyes. "What did they mean 'they found me first'?" She asked herself clutching her heart and staring up at the moon. "Are there going to be more like them?" Growling at her sore body she pulled her legs under her and pushed herself up. "If there are going to be more like them...I'm not safe here."

The howl of a mountain wolf could be heard far of in the distant. It's call was answered by another. She could hear the wolves of the mountain call to one another and she closed her emerald eyes. The mountain wolves were very drawn back and would kill if anyone tread onto heir domain whether the poor soul be animal or human. Strangely they never bothered her even when she did wander on to their domain.

The moon shone on her calm pale face as it illuminated the area around her. Her shadow stretched over the mountain's terrain. Behind her the shadow that should have completely mirrored her had seven furry wolf tails swishing around it and a pair of furry ears. She glanced behind her and saw Okami dwelling in her shadow.

"You think I should leave too?" She asked her shadow with sad eyes. The form of black twisted and shrank back into the shadow of a twelve year old girl. "I thought so."

She poured some of her chakra into her clothes where the rips had formed and the threads began to intertwine with one another sealing up the holes until it looked like they were never there. The dark clothing covered the scars underneath her black body suite from where the pikes had pierced her body. Her ribs were sore as she exhaled from the effort. Almost all her chakra was gone. Under any other circumstance this would be a simple task for her but with the healing, the fight and her tattoos draining her she was wiped.

"We'll leave as soon as I get my strength back. But for now all I want to do is to go asleep." She moaned dissipating into a flurry of pink cherry blossoms. And reappearing in her sleeping quarters. A horse cough rippled through her body as she fell to her side on the bed of multi colored feathers the birds had so generously blessed her with.

A ripple in her mind made her shiver and draw closer to herself. Then for the first time in a long time Okami spoke to her. "Tomorrow we will leave for Konohagakure, the village hidden among the tree leaves. We will be safe there but you can not let anyone know the truth about you...about me. There the nine tailed dwells and the one tail is currently residing there as well. Don't worry my child, I will let no harm come to you."

Unlike the rest of the tailed beasts Okami was once a mother and was not a violent as any of the other beasts. She is normally calm but is incredibly protective when her children are in danger. Since Sakura was a host or a Jinchurik Okami counted her as one of her own children. Okami, The great White Wolf Mother was also remembered and feared for the anger and temper she displayed a hundred years ago when her two twin pups were killed. Many lives were taken that day fallen to her wrath. At the end of her rampage a Kage sealed her inside a scroll that was stolen 60 some years later. Even though she was less powerful the the nine tailed fox she could take anyone down with her motherly abilities but only when her children were threatened. There was still a deeper reason as to why Okami wanted to protect Sakura but it was still unknown to her.

Sakura felt the huge white wolf nuzzled her in her mind and smiled as a sweet slumber came over her. "Thank you Okami..." She murmured before drifting completely off.

The next day after a full night of rest Sakura awoke around noon. She groaned as she struggled to sit up, her body screamed and groaned in soreness as she rose to her feet. After a quick bath and breakfast of mountain roots she strapped her dew possessions into a brown pack and hauled it over her shoulder. It was fairly light filled only with scrolls and food with only another pair of clothes. She had money she found in a coat pocket from another wanna be monster slayer. It wasn't a lot but it was all she needed. She wrapped a black ribbon around her face crossing over the bridge of her nose in a X form and covering her entire face with the exception of her eyes.

"Well, where is this Konohagakure. Please tell me where to go Okami."Sakura asked standing outside under the blinding noon sun.

She felt a stirring inside her mind as Okami began to speak. "It's very far, a seven day hike but if you run with my help I could get you there in four days. For now you need to come down from this mountain and then head north south."

"Hai." Sakura quickly replied running down the steep mountain side gaining a greet speed. Her hair whipped around her face as she ran faster. Her feet were a blur as her eyes narrowed. She was leaving her home, he only place she ever loved. And all because she wasn't safe, because she wasn't strong enough to protect herself. Still being so young she couldn't properly restrain Okami so she rarely let her out.

She jumped over a rock and spread her arms out as she began to fall down the mountain. She pooled chakra under her feet to break her fall avoiding several broken bones. Jumping up in the same second she sped forward. That phrase her father used so much with her rang over and over in her head. She wasn't strong enough, she wasn't good enough. Her anger gave her strength as her speed increased. 'Would she ever be good enough, would she ever be strong enough?' Sakura though as trees and ligneous plants sped behind her in a blur. She bent her head down and pulled her arms back to gain speed. She would be one day she would be.

The village she once called home was far behind her now and growing small and smaller by the second soon it was out of sight completely. Okami was a bit surprised at how fast her fanged carrier was traveling but she shouldn't have. Just like herself Sakura had a habit of getting angry, unlike Okami she got angry over the smallest of things. She had once tripped over a small rock and started cursing and yelling at it how it's whole purpose in life was to trip her and make her fall and how it was an evil rock sent from the gates of hades. The mother wolf chuckled at the fond memories. Reaching out she nuzzled her affectionately. She rarely spoke a loud but she felt that she would need to communicate with Sakura a lot more in the future.

"What are you thinking?"Sakura asked mentally feeling the nuzzle. Okami didn't reply but instead closed her eyes and calmed the anger in her heart. Sakura felt her doing this and smiled. "Thanks Okami." The white mother wolf did not reply but nuzzled her again to tell her she understood.

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There it is. I updated really soon and the next update won't be as soon, sorry. Like before I'll need five more reviews before I put up the next chapter. Please review and tell me what you want to see in this story, who you want to see in this story and anything else. Okami will be talking a lot more in the other chapters and her past as well as Sakura's will be cleared up. Naruto and Garra nd whoever you want to see will be in the next chapter I swear. 


	3. Arrival

Here it is. Chapter three! In this chapter Sakura will meet Naruto and team 7 with Sai in her place. Yes Naruto is in this chapter. Yay I bet ya'll are happyabout that. Read, enjoy, and review. I don't own Naruto...sadly.

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Sakura jumped up and landed on a tree's branch a few days later. Her legs were sore from five days of running but a brief rest was all she needed to replenish her fiery spirit. She was very close to the hidden leaf village and could tell because of all the chakra patterns she sensed around her. She was still a good hour and half run away from the village's gates but she didn't mind. To be completely truthful she was nervous about what she was going to say and do when she got there. Climbing up the side of a 90 degree mountain side without chakra was a piece of pie but talking or even existing in the same room as another human...not so much. 

Her stomach growled for the hundredth time that day so she decided to sit down and eat a lunch. She pulled out a strip of dried boar meat and a handful of nuts. Living on a mountain most of her life she had grown used to a small diet of nuts, berries, fruits, vegetables and the occasional treat of smoked meat. She didn't enjoy hunting animals and tended to stay away from that but a few months back a heard of wild bore killed two of her favorite mountain goats. She was so angry that she killed half a dozed of the horned beasts. After that she expertly skinned and butchered all of them except for one. The one that she didn't she left to the mountain wolves.

Washing down the small meal with a canteen of water she swung her pack over her back again. A few minuets later a large flood of chakra washed over her and she quickly jumped into a tree hiding herself within the leaves. If she could sense them they could most likely since her. There were three...no four of them. Three were her rank maybe a bit lower and the last one was a Jonin. They were heading in the same direction as her but at a much slower pace. They certainly weren't in a hurry. She brushed away a strand of pink hair that fell over her eye obscuring her vision.

Almost as soon as she sensed their chakra she heard their overly loud voices. She growled at how loud they were and covered her sensitive ears. There was a blond and two raven haired boys around her age. Behind them trotting lazily was a masked gray haired adult, most likely the Jonin. The blond seemed to be doing the most talking or it was more like shouting with the two other boys. The one was always smiling and insulting him while the other remained silent. The Jonin was wearing a mask that covered the bottom half of his face and his forehead protector slid down over his one eye. Her nose twitched slightly as she smelled something much like Okami coming from one of them.

All of the boys were too busy arguing or acting cool to noticed th poorly masked chakra coming their way. The Jonin noticed it though and instantly tensed. Before he could warn them a shower of kuni came whizzing at them. Luckily their reflexes kicked in at the last minuet and they all ducked or deflected the weapons. Three Jonin ranking ninja wearing black cloaks appeared from the trees. Their forehead protectors each had a waterfall insignia and a slash making them as ex waterfall ninja. One held a chain the other held a katana and the last one held a piked staff.

For the first time she heard the leaf Jonin speak to the boys. "Sasuke, Sai, Naruto stand you ground, these are Jonin but we outnumber them." He stated calmly removing the forehead protector that fell over his one eye to reveal a single red eye.

'Sharingan!' Sakura thought surprised. The man didn't look like a Uchiha and only one of his eyes held the black and red oculus. She could feel Okami stir deep within her mind in displeasure. Sakura didn't know why but for some reason Okami didn't like seeing the Sharingan. She made a mental note to ask her about that later. For now she focused her eyes on the scene the would soon give birth to a bloody battle.

"If any of us get separated we'll head back to Konohagakure," the grew haired ninja stated sternly putting a hand behind his back and reaching for something. The three boys nodded in reply.

Sakura's eyes wandered over the scene and narrowed when they fell on a blond haired ninja that was shaking nervously. She spotted the black lines running along his face like whiskers. Okami must have seen them as well since she was pacing madly back and forth in her mind. He must be the carrier of the nine tailed fox, the whiskers proved this. 'He must be who I smelled,' she thought watching him.

After a few minuets of combat the one waterfall ninja with the chain had cleverly pushed Naruto away from the group and was now chasing him through the forest. Sakura lazily glanced at the rest of the ninja before silently hoping off after the blond haired ninja the held the most of her interest. The waterfall ninja used his chain to trip him by wrapping around on of his legs. The blue eyes ninja fell to the ground and growled in pain as it ripped at his skin. Jumping down Sakura crouched behind a bush and silently observed the fight.

"He's loosing...badly." Sakura commented to the white furred wolf pacing in her mind. Okami remained silent so Sakura continued. "Should I help him?" Okami still remained silent causing Sakura to growl in annoyance. The boy was greatly out matched and outranked. It didn't look like he was going to win this fight unless he called on the nine tailed fox, but Sakura knew this would cause more bad than good. Unlike Okami the nine tailed most likely hated this boy and wouldn't honor his wishes and crawl back into his seal. "He's going to die if I don't help him!" She growled loudly seeing the boy getting beat around senseless.

Sakura could fell that all of the boy's chakra was completely depleted. Most likely from the chain the Waterfall ninja was using. She could feel it sucking away the chakra of whatever it touched. Sakura could smell the waterfall ninja's blood lust and could feel his desire to see the boy die. He raised his weapon high above his head and the boy didn't move. He just lay there to tired to protest his fate.

"I'm sorry Okami but I have to do this!" Sakura growled jumping out from her hiding place and deflecting his chain with her kuni preventing a very nasty fate for the blue eyed fox boy. "I won't allow this boy to die."

"What the...Who are you and what are you doing here?" the mist ninja asked angrily drawing back his chain.

"Who I am is not your concern. All you need to know is that I will not let you kill this boy," Sakura sternly replied keeping her head down so that a shadow covered her eyes.

"Whatever it doesn't matter I'll kill you as well!"He shouted putting his chain away and lunging at her with a pair of forks held in each hand. Sakura silently remained unmoving until the last moment when she bent her knees outward , ducking his attack. He pulled a sweep kick at her that she easily hopped away from. Back flipping away she arched her back and readied herself for the next attack. He threw one of his forks at her head and the other at her heart, she easily dodged them both and smirked. The waterfall ninja growled at her smirk and jabbed at her side throwing a punch to her face. Sakura ducked and leaned back flipping her legs over her head hitting him in the face and neck. She heard a crack and he fell back limply. A small cloud of dust rose up around his fallen frame as he crashed to the ground. His eyes moved from side to side wildly in a panic as he tried to move his body but couldn't.

"If I was you I wouldn't bother. I've broken your neck so you'll be parallelized for life. I could have kill you so be thankful I spared you life however worthless it might be." She calmly stated standing up straight.

"Why...why would you risk your own life to save that...that monster?" He asked panting heavily.

Sakura lazily looked over at him with her hands resting on her hips, her jade green eyes hid her true emotions well. "Because...,"Sakura paused lowering her eyes to the cold hard earth. "I wanted to." With that being said she walked over to they tired blue eyed boy and shook him lightly. Finding him out cold she lifted him onto her back, fireman style, and headed out of the clearing.

The other two mist ninja might be searching for their friend so she decided to take him to a safer place to heal him. Using her nose she found a small stream not to far away where she could clean out his wounds. Setting him down she pulled a vile out of her vest pocket and poured the brow gloppy substance over his cuts. He flinched a little in his sleep but soon relaxed when she rubbed it in.

She was using some of her chakra to seal up one of his larger wounds when his eyes opened slightly. "Who...Who are you?" He managed to mutter sleepily while trying to sit up.

"I'm nobody. You need not concern yourself with my being." Sakura replied softly healing another one of his wounds only to find it healing it's self. 'The nine tailed fox is an excellent healer. Even through the seal he can do so much.' She thought to herself as Okami nodded in agreement.

"I'm was kind of looking for a name. My name is Naruto Uzumaki I'm going to be the next Hokage!"He replied excitably. He subtly scared her how fast he could heal and regain his energy, not even she could do that.

Sakura remained silent for a few moments tending to the last of his wounds before replying to his question. "...My name is Sakura, just Sakura. Your ankle is cut up pretty badly. I don't know if I can heal it all right now."

"That's alright Sakura chan, I'll just hop all the way to my village it isn't that far." He replied with a bright smile.

Naruto was making Sakura a little nervous. He was smiling too much and he called her chan. Having such little experience with humans, almost everything scared her. Yet at the same time she felt at peach with him. She wasn't completely freaking out around him and she could feel the pain from his past around him. He reminded her of herself. "No Naruto san you won't be able to walk and I won't let you hop all the way back." She stated sternly putting her equipment back in her vest's pockets.

"But how will I be able to get home?" He whined cutely. Sakura couldn't help but snicker at his actions. He was just like a little kid. His hair was dirty and ruffled, leaning to one side.

"I'm heading to the same place as you. I'll can just carry you on my back." She stated quickly standing up and brushing the dirt off her pants.

"Carry me? Like a piggy back ride?" He asked excitably. Sakura sighed and nodded slowly. "Wohooo! I get a piggy back ride from a pretty girl!" He shouted raising his arms up above his head happily.

Sakura faltered a bit when he said the word pretty. She didn't like it. How could he even call her pretty when her face was covered? Her vest was long and baggy as well hiding most of her figure. She calmly regained her posture and slipped another silky lock of her pink hair behind her ear."You're going to have to stop shouting if you want a ride."

Naruto instantly shut up and crawled onto her offered back being careful to not put to much weight on his injured foot. Despite his weight Sakura's speed only dropped a little. He did after all weight less than the boulders she had to move in front of her dwelling when it rained. She briefly stopped to pick up her bag before starting in the direction of the hidden leaf village.

The entire way there Naruto told her about his team and friends in the academy. He also told her why his dream was to become Hokage. When she asked why people looked down on his he grew silent. He didn't speak up again until Sakura asked him about his favorite pastime. Then there was a never ending ocean of words that came to fast for the green eyed wolf girl to decipher. She did however catch 'Rama' a few times.

"Sakura chan you haven't told me where you've come from or anything else about yourself other than your first name." Naruto commented coaxing his head to one side. The village gates were drawing closer and Sakura could make out the huge leaf symbol printed across the doors.

"My life story is not a pleasant one Naruto san. I come from the herb village." Sakura stated as Naruto waved to the guard on duty. He had short brown hair that fell over his right eye covering it.

The one guard that Naruto waved to smiled and came to meet him. Naruto produced his passport and told the guard that Sakura was his friend. "Is she a ninja? I don't see a head band..." He asked looking over her.

"My name is Sakura, I come from the herb village by the mountains. No one is a ninja there including me." Sakura replied shaking Naruto back onto her back since he was sliding back.

"Well if you not a ninja I can't stop you from going in. Have a nice day Sakura and Naruto." He replied with a smile returning to his shaded lookout box.

"That was Izumo. He's nice." Naruto chirped as Sakura continued towards the hospitable. "Hey Sakura chan you didn't finish telling me about yourself what about your family?"

"...My mother died giving birth to me and my father...I haven't see him in seven years. I don't know if he's alive or dead so I can not tell you. I was the first born so I never had any siblings. I've lived by myself for the past seven years and as far as I know I don't have a family." Sakura gravely replied keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"But your father could still be alive, don't you want to find him?" He asked as the two approached to hospitable.

"As far as I'm concerned...that man is and never was my father. I have no wish to reunite with him." Her reply was quick and cold telling Naruto that he shouldn't ask anything more.

Sakura used her foot to push open the door and quietly walked up to the front desk. "Naruto!" The nurse behind the counter exclaimed "Kakashi and the rest of team seven are upstairs with minor cuts and bruises. What happened to your ankle it looks like a dog gnawed it off? And who is the pretty girl that's helping you?"

Sakura flinched slightly. There was that word again. Pretty. She had a feeling she was going to grow to hate the word with a passion. She knew they were lying. They didn't even see her face. "This is Sakura chan, she healed most of my cuts in the forest," replied Naruto with a perky smile.

"Well we better get that ankle of yours checked up. If you don't mind could you carry him to one of the closer rooms?" She asked addressing Sakura. Sakura nodded and carried Naruto into the room the nurse instructed, setting Naruto down on a cot. "The doctor should be with you in a quick minuet."

Naruto sighed and leaned back on the bed folding his arms behind his head. "Thanks so much for carrying me her Sakura chan. I don't think anyone else would have done what you did for me," Naruto thanked earnestly.

Sakura nodded and walked over to the window turning her face away from the blue eyed fox boy. She knew what he meant when he said 'I don't think anyone else would have done what you did for me'. With the nine tailed fox sealed inside him a lot of people must have hated him a lot. A lot of people hated her too for all the destruction Okami caused when her wolf babies were killed. Sakura was going to ask him about the nine tailed fox revealing to him her knowledge when a sharp ringing in her head stopped her short. 'No you can't say that!' Okami hissed quickly.

'What? Why not the nine tailed fox must have already told him by now.' Sakura replied in her mind.

Okami huffed and sat down shaking her head. 'Sakura my child...though you may now much about my kind you still are completely clueless when it comes to emotions. Remember how I told you how the nine tailed resented being locked away and was one of the more feisty of my kind?' Sakura mentally nodded. 'Well he and this boy don't communicate as much as we do. As far as I know all Naruto knows is that there is a monster residing within him. If they did the nine tailed would have helped him more when Naruto was fighting that waterfall ninja.'

'But he did heal his wounds. I was there, I saw it. And we don't talk that much as well,' Sakura replied confused.

'I'll have to talk to you more about this later, for now just keep me a secret. I will revile myself when the time is right.' Okami sighed nuzzling the dawn tinted girl with affection. Sakura nodded and exited her mind returning to the real world. She blinked when she saw the Jonin from before standing in the doorway. He waved to Naruto and smiled underneath his mask.

Naruto was telling his story to the Jonin when the silver haired man laughed telling him to stop. "I know Naruto, I know. The guard at the front gate informed the Hokage about your friend and it seem that her presence is wanted." Sakura inwardly shivered. Did the Hokage know about her and the eight tailed wolf resting inside her mind? "I'll escort you to the Hokage tower miss...Sakura."

Sakura nodded silently and followed the Jonin Kakashi as the two headed towards the Hokage tower. Her mind was a mess of thoughts and worries. 'Would this be just another bad repeat of the past?' She thought.

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Oooo What happned in her past that is so bad? And what is going to happen to her, will she be thrown out or welcomed? Chapter 4 soon to come. Review please and tell me what you want to see in this fic! 


	4. Rippled Reflections

Here it is the not so long awaited chapter 4. I was lazy this time and didn't do much. (sry) As always I don't own Naruto, if I did do you think I would be here? Read, enjoy, and then review.

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A slender pair of pale hands weaved together in an elaborate had design. Sakura glanced at her entwined fingers and exhaled loudly letting her hands fall to her sides. She was sitting in the waiting room outside the Hokage's office. The silver haired Jonin was already in there most likely telling the village's ruler what he knew of the girl. She still didn't know if they knew about Okami. Even now she could feel the mighty beast pacing back and forth within her mind. 

Her head shot up as the door opened. Kakashi stepped out lazily and cast a glance her way, he smiled and opened the door further for her to enter through. She mumbled a quick thank you and ducked quickly into the room. Sakura kept her head low but proudly marched up to the center of the room. Sitting down in a large chair positioned in front of a window sat a hazel eyed woman with light blond hair. Around her were several high piles of paperwork still unfinished.

"So you must be Sakura. My name is Tsunada. I heard you healed Naruto a while ago." She spoke flipping through a few stray papers. Sakura nodded but remained silent. When met with silence the blond woman looked up and blinked. "I'm not going to bit if that's what your scared of."

Sakura smiled a bit. from what she already knew, she liked this woman. "Hai, I did heal Naruto san."

"From what I've heard from the nurses you used chakra to heal him. Tell me, how can a girl from the herb village, where there are no ninja, learned such fine medical jutsu?" With this the said woman raised an eyebrow.

"...My father taught me the basics of chakra and I read...a lot. I taught myself such things and the herbs that grow in my village helped." She quickly replied leaving out how Okami taught her.

"I don't believe you. No one can teach themselves such a thing. Someone needs to train you, and I think I know who." Tsunada said standing up and walking around the desk. "But I want to hear it from you. I can feel the other chakra pattern you forgot to hide from me. It's leaking out and flooding this room. Thought I must say it's a much lighter aura than Naruto's or Garra's."

Sakura shivered a little and she felt Okami nudge her in her mind. She felt the white wolf nod giving her to go ahead to tell the Hokage about herself. Sakura breathed in deeply before opening her almond shaped green eyes. "That's not all Tsunada, but to explain I think I should start at the beginning. When I was an unborn babe my father used a sealing or Fuin jutsu on my mother trying to fuse Okami's soul with my own. It's not like Naruto's Shisho Fuin, four symbols seal when used with the hakke no Fuin Shiki, eight trigrams sealing style. He was trying to...turn me into a...a..." Sakura's breath hiked a bit as she tried to calm her voice. Tsunada came up behind her and motherly rubbed her back in a soothing way. "...But it didn't work. Okami says it was because I devolved a second mental will or mind to contain her. The effort was to much for my mother when I was born and she died. Okami is a tailed beast, she has been the one to teach me such things Tsunada sama."

"Now would Okami be the forth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eight tailed beast?" Tsunada asked looking her in the eye.

"Okami is the eight tailed wolf."

"I thought so. Okami was the mother wolf, only she would be so kind. If you would permit me Sakura, may I see your seal?" Tsunada asked switching from Hokage to medic mode.

Sakura nodded and turned around swinging her braid over her shoulder. She reached up and pulled down the zipper on her back part way revealing her shoulder blades. She the focused some chakra into her body illuminating a black seal without any guarding seals to suppress the tailed beast's chakra. Two swirls spiraled around the other before meeting in the middle.

"Remarkable, so Okami remains peaceful...willingly?"

"No If she had her way the entire world would be free of humans that could harm me. She is quiet most of the time unless I am in danger. Since I was the one who created the second mind for her to dwell in I can control it as well. Though it is a bit difficult to contain two minds at once while trying to fight and I get these terrible headaches. Okami hates seeing me in pain so she will quiet down letting me concentrate."

"So now this is the question I've bee dying to ask you, what are you doing here in the hidden leaf village?" Tsunada asked as Sakura zipped up the back of her black body suite and turned around.

She shivered a bit before replying. "I was attacked on my mountain and I came here because...because Okami said it was safe for me. And I was just wondering if I could stay."

Tsunada tapped her lips thinking for a bit. "Let me think here, I think Kakashi already sensed you second chakra and his team is missing a medic. It would make it and uneven number, five and all, but then those boys need some order in their lives... You can fight can't you?"

Sakura nodded. "Hai, Tsunada sama."

"Good then I'm putting you on Team seven. You'll start your training with them the day after tomorrow. Naruto should be fully healed by then. For now...go to this address and give the lady behind the counter this note..." Tsunada said scribbling something down on a piece of paper before stamping it with the Hokage's seal. "Open the door and call in Kakashi would you love."

Sakura oped the door and stuck her head out. The masked Jonin was sitting in a chair reading a little orange book lazily. "Tsunada sama wants you." She called.

He lifted his one visible eye above the top of his book and nodded standing up. He entered the room and stood waiting for the blond woman to finish writing her note and notice him. "You called Tsunada sama."

"Ah yes, you see I want Sakura on your team. Those boys of yours need a little order and a medic and I think Sakura will be perfect for them. I don't want to hear any back talking, Hokage's orders. " She said handing Sakura a slip of paper.

"Hai, Tsunada sama" Kakashi replied nodding with a smile as Tsunada handed him the slip of paper.

"For now just walk her home." The blond haired woman grunted falling back into her seat and picking up another piece of paper from her desk. A grumble escaped her lips about how much paper work the ungrateful people were giving her.

Kakashi and Sakura both exited the Hokage's room and headed towards the exit of the building. "So...I guess your going to be placed on my team." Kakashi stated lazily while walking.

"I hope your not angry that Tsunada sama is forcing me onto your team." Sakura quickly stated fearing that he was.

Instead of replying the her comment he surprised her by instead laughing. "No, not at all. In fact I think it's great. Those boys fight all day and night, the pretty much hate each other's guts. I think adding you to our team will be great. By the way, I didn't know you were a ninja. I thought I heard that you were from the herb village."

"I am. My father taught me at a very early age and I learned the rest from books and scrolls. I'm probably not as good as your boys but my main talent and ability is medical jutsu." Sakura replied falling into ease with the man next to her.

"Ah yes. that's a bonus. We don't have a real medic nin on our team. Sai is the one that knows the most out of all of us and he just roughly knows the basics."

Sakura smiled to herself and looked down. "Is Naruto going to be alright?" She asked after a brief pause of silence.

"Naruto? He'll be just fine. I've never seen anyone that can heal faster than that boy. He said as the two approached a tall round building. "So this is where you will be staying. If you need anything...just panicky 'cause I won't be around."

In a loud 'poof' the lazy Jonin was gone. Sakura blinked before staring down at the wrinkly folded piece of paper now in her hand. Her nose wrinkled when she detected the scent of Sake. She clutched the tiny piece of paper and tuned sharply on here heel entering the building. Just like the Hokage said there was a woman behind the counter. She handed the woman her slip of paper and waited patiently as she read it. She grumbled something about more brats in her building before handing the pink haired girl a silver key with a room number on it. "Third floor seventh door on you right." She barked turning back to her many wrinkled and stray papers.

Sakura bowed in respect before turning around and headed up the stairs. On the third floor she counted the doors until she found her room. Trying the key she slipped it in, smiling when she heard the click of the door unlocking. Pushing the wooden door open she found a cozy one bedroom apartment with a kitchen and living room. There was a couch and a large armchair in the living room and she found the kitchen cabinets filled with cooking pots and pans. In the single bedroom there was a full sized bed, a hope chest, and a full length mirror.

She lightly tiptoed over to the mirror and gazed at her reflection. "So how do you like it?"

her reflection rippled as her eyes turned a bright yet soft pink with snow white flecks around the pupils that were now silted like those of a dog's. A pair of fuzzy white wolf ears replaced her normal ones. "I like it very much, Sakura." Her reflection replied pulling her mask down and revealing a pair of pearly white fangs overlapping her full red lips as she smiled.

"I like it too Okami. I think I can grow to love in this place." Sakura replied through her mask to her reflection, her green eyes shining with a rare happiness.

Her reflection stopped smiling as a hard look took over her shining pink eyes. "...Sakura, that would be unwise. Please harden your heart to that forbidden word. When the danger is all over I think we should return back to the mountains. I don't trust any of theses...humans." She spat the last word like it was a curse.

Sakura sighed sadly. "I know Okami, that is why I'm hiding myself like this. I now that when this is over we need to leave. I already miss my mountains so much and long for it. But for now I will enjoy myself." Sakura replied to Okami sadly.

"Good my daughter, but for now you are tired. Sleep for it is deep into the dusk and you are weary." Okami replied as Sakura's reflection rippled back to a pretty young girl with green eyes and a mask. Stepping away from the mirror she trotted to the large bed. She pulled back the large red comforter and slid her small pale feet in. Since she left her backpack with all her extra clothes in Naruto's hospital room she wore her regular day clothes the bed.

The cold from the dying winter season nipped at her thin frail body making her pull herself into a tight ball nestling her head in between her knees. Soon it would be the first day of spring bringing warmer weather and her dreaded birthday. Her upbraided hair fanned out around her body in waves of pink ripples. Soon her mind slipped off in to a deep slumber leaving the real world far behind.

Back at the hospital room with Naruto he was rolling over in bed tired of laying still. Sasuke and Sai still hadn't come to see him and he was super board. Lazily he eyed a dark black sack in the corner. Curiosity filled his mind as he hopped over to the bag. Checking to see that no one was around he snatched it and quickly hopped back onto his cot. He undid the pulled the cover flap back and looked inside. There were a few shirts and shorts as well as a few scrolls.

Taking an interest to the scroll her picked up a purple and black one. Once again he checked his surroundings to see if anyone would see him.

"I know this is Sakura chan's but I know so little about her maybe I'll learn a bit more about her from her stuff." He thought untying the cord around the thick scroll. His breathing increased as the bottom half of the parchment rolled onto his lap. "What...?" He gasped as his eyes winded in shock. "What is this?" In his hands he held the scroll but instead of the normal writing the directions were etched in a rough and alien language. What was more the unfamiliar language was written in what looked like dried blood. "Sakura chan...?"'

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There is it chapter 4! I got just enough reviews in time to update this chapter so I am very happy. Next chapter will be a lot longer since it will cover more than one day. I plan to update on Dec. the 21 since this is my real birthday and line it up with Sakura's birthday. I'm going to enjoy writing that.

This chapter was a lot shorter compared to all my other chapters so if you were disappointed I'm sorry. As always Review please! Flames are welcome to keep me warm and all that junk...


	5. alone in sorrow

This is Chapter five, my B day speacial! This chapter didn't come out as well as I hoped it would but O well. I don't own Naruto, you should know that by now. Please review. Bunny love!

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A pair of almond shaped emerald eyes fluttered lazily open, her long black lashes casting a small shadow over her face. Sakura shifted her arms while pulling her upper body into a sitting position. Her visions was still cloudy with sleepiness making her surroundings appear fuzzy. She grunted and slid her legs over the bed's side. Today was her first day of training and the day before her birthday. 

Yesterday she stopped at the hospitable to pick up her backpack and say hi to Naruto. He seemed a little more jumpy then usual but by the end of her visit he was his old self. She stepped into her black body suite and red jacket after discarding her sleeping garments. She pulled her hair back into a tight braid tying it off with a leather cord.

She growled when the late morning sun hit her in the eyes, wait...late morning...? She blinked and looked over at the clock above her stove. It read 9:45. Team seven was scheduled to meet at 7:00. "Kuso." She muttered under her breath while heading out the door. She decided not to rush since she was already so late. It wasn't like her to be late but adjusting to current environment too a lot of effort. And to add to it Sakura was _no_ morning person.

While strolling through the streets towards team seven's meeting place she was surprised to see Kakashi ahead of her with his nose buried deep in a book. "What is he doing here?" She thought lifting an eyebrow. "Kakashi?"She called running up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh hello Sakura. I'm reading." Kakashi replied with a smile.

"I mean why are you here and not with your team." Sakura replied.

"Oh well you see I saw a black cat in front of my path and had to take the long way around." He replied sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, O.K. I can understand that." Sakura replied calmly believing him. Okami fell over in her head cursing to herself. Sakura was too trusting for a ninja.

"Well since you're with me why don't we walk together. It will be a lot easier to introduce you to the team this way."

"Hai Kakashi sensei." Sakura nodded.

As they approached the bridge Sakura fell into steep behind Kakashi so that her full figure was hidden behind his own. She saw Naruto leaning against the railing along with two dark haired boys on the other side of the bridge. "Hey there guys sorry I'm late but you see there was this black cat and..."

"LIAR!" Naruto shouted pointing a finger at Kakashi's face in anger.

"Liar? Naruto I'm hurt, this time I was really telling the truth but you didn't let me finish, I had to escort you new teammate here." He replied as Sakura stepped out from behind him.

"...Sakura chan!" Naruto cried happily jumping up and hugging the pink haired girl.

"What do you mean new teammate? I though there could only be four on a team." Sasuke replied a little annoyed thinking it was another fan girl of his. Sai nodded without looking up from his sketch pad thinking the same thing. Both boys just so happened to be very popular with the girls. There was barley a girl in the whole town that hasn't fallen for them yet.

"Yeah well it's Hokage's orders." Kakashi replied rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't mind. Sasuke, Sai this is the girl I was talking about." Said Naruto pointing to Sakura. Sakura nodded towards the two boys in greeting.

"You mean the one you wouldn't stop talking about." Sasuke grumbled rubbing his head remembering how the blond fox boy wouldn't shut up. He let his cold onyx eyes scan the girl beside Naruto. She was completely covered in black clothing and little could be seen of her face. A baggy red jacket hid her figure well so he couldn't see what she looked like. She wore some matching dark red leg warmers around her legs and a pair of fishnet gloves that exposed the tips of her fingers. He also noticed that she didn't wear any shoes or sandles.

Sakura looked over at Sasuke and caught him staring at her. Instead of blushing or turning away like Sasuke thought she would, she narrowed his eyes and glared coldly. Sasuke stiffened a little and turned away surprised. The faint hint of pink that fanned his face went unseen.

Sai looked up from his sketch pad and waved a little before disappearing behind his drawing book once again.

"Now that introductions are over how about we get in some training." Kakashi suggested in a carefree tone.

Sakura huffed a little as she leaned against a tree's trunk. So far her training was fairly basic. What made it so exhausting was the other three boys. In the first few moments Sakura quickly learned that all three boys hated each other's guts. She sighed again, her ears were still hurting from all their shouting. Naruto lay on his back a few feet away from her while Sasuke and Sai were still standing but panting just like her. Sakura swallowed and stood up straighting up as her strength returned.

For the past two hours, Kakashi put his team through a basic dodging and deflecting training. Sakura mostly used her speed to dodge the weapons not very good at deflection without Okami. Since it was her first day they had a light training session. They first thing Kakashi made them do was start running laps around the arena until they fell over. After that they had Kuni pratice and then lunch.

Sasuke glanced behind him to see Sakura straighting up recovering from Kakashi's last attack. For the hundredth time that day she had surprised him. She wasn't like Ino or Hinta or any of the other girls from his village, she was much stronger and she wasn't a fan girl. It was no wonder Naruto wouldn't stop talking about her. He regained his composure and narrowed his eyes once again making a mental note to keep an eye on her.

Kakashi lept down from the tree's branch and pulled out his book. "O.K. I think you're all done for today, you can go home now." He stated no even bothering to look at them.

Naruto jumped up to his feet suddenly full of energy. "Yes we're done!" He cried jumping up and down excitably. Sakura smirked at how energetic he could get. "Hey Kakashi sensei did you say yesterday that we could get tomorrow off?"

"Oh yeah, tomorrow is the first day of spring and (I want a excuse for a break) so tomorrow there is no training." Kakashi stated lazily with a laugh.

Sakura looked away, first day of spring...her birthday...that day. She nodded and began to walk away.

"Sakura chan!" She head someone call and she turned around to see Naruto running her way. "Sakura chan would you...um...like to go out with me to get some Ramen?" He asked a deep pink blush covering his face while he played with his fingers.

"Ramen? What's that?" She asked only hearing of the food a few times in her life.

"Naruto twitched and looked at her like she was a ghost. "You've never had...the holy food?" Sakura shook her head. "That's it come on." He exclaimed taking her by the hand and leading her to the Ramen stand.

"But Naruto I don't have any money on me." She protested following the hyper blond.

"That's O.K. Sakura chan it's my treat." He replied flashing her a bright smile. The two sudden;y stopped outside the small Ramen bar. "Sakura chan this is the Ichiraku Ramen bar! Old man Teuchi, Ayame...!" Naruto called as the two sat down on the stools.

A young brown haired girl with kind eyes came out from the back followed by her father. "Hello there Naruto." She greeted. "Will it be the usual?"

"Yeah but double that order Ayame, I have a friend with me today."Naruto replied as the man behind the counter began to cook the noodles. The girl looked over at Sakura then back at Naruto and giggled before whispering something in his ear. "Uh...well not...not really...but I...uh..." he stuttered turning a deep shade of red.

"Here are your orders Naruto." The elderly man stated handing the two a pair of bowels filled with noodles after a brief wait. Sakura bowed her head in thanks before breaking her chopsticks like Naruto and eating her noodles. She sighed happily tasting the meal for the first time.

"You like?" Naruto asked.

"Like it, gosh I love it! I could basically live off this stuff. Naruto...?Naruto are you alright?"

Naruto sighed with hearts in his eyes while looking at Sakura."She likes Ramen, she likes Ramen, she likes Ramen, she likes Ramen..." He thought.

"So About you teammates how do you like them?" She asked taking another slurp of her noodles.

"I hate both of them." He replied quickly making Sakura laugh. " I do, Sasuke thinks he so cool and emo and Sai always starts the fights they are both evil I tell you!"

"I'll have to agree with you on that, Sasuke dose seem a bit too emo. Do you have any other friends?"

"Well I have a friend in Suna, his name is Garra. I first met him in the chunin exams. We weren't friends at first but I guess you could say we found out we had a lot more in conman than we though. You know he's coming back to leaf in a few days with his brother and sister. I could introduce you to him!"

'Garra! That was the name Tsunada mentioned when she was talking about my demonic aura. Meet him meet him!' Okami chanted in her head. "I would like that very much Naruto. Thanks." Sakura replied with a smile.

" So Sakura do you have any friends?"

"Me...friends? ...I never had any friends, I was always alone." She replied looking away flinching from having to dig into un-plesent memories.

'Alone that word...' Naruto thought remembering how he felt when he was younger. Flashes of past events ran through his head behind closed eyes. The feeling was so inhuman, it was the worst experience ever. "That's not true Sakura chan, you have at least one friend." Sakura looked over at him with questioning eyes. "Me. I won't let you be alone anymore."

Sakura's eyes widened a bit from surprise before softening "Naruto..."

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It was dark when Sakura's eyes flashed open. Her room was dark and chilly; goose bumps formed on her arms and shoulders. It was a few minuets before dawn, the time when nothing moves and life waits for the first warm touches of sunlight. Sakura clutched her heart lying on her back. Today was the first day of spring and the day of her birth. She growled, deep in her heart she could already feel it. Today was the day she killed her precious mother. 

"Mom." She whispered sitting up and sliding out of bed.

Her feet seemed to carry her by themselves as she drifted through the streets of the hidden Leaf village. It was now well past noon and the streets were very busy with people running to and fro. Her eyes were hard and cold as she headed towards the Sakura trees.

Thankfully the beautiful area was deserted leaving Sakura alone with her sorrow. She pulled out a necklace from under her black body suite with a Victorian style key. She knelt at the foot of the tree and bowed her head with the key in hand. "Hi there mom, It's been a while since we last talked. I bet you would be proud to hear that I made a new friend and that I'm not alone anymore.." Sakura paused lowering her head as a few tears fell from her closed eyes. "I miss you so much. I really wish I could have met you even for a day. All I have of you is your key." Sakura's voice spiked as she lost control. She fell down on her side clutching her key letting the tears fall silently.

Okami whined to herself in the back of Sakura's mind. She felt so guilty for taking her mother's life. If it wasn't for her Sakura's mom would still be alive.

A breeze played by releasing a few stray cherry blossoms. One fell onto her wet cheek. "Mom...I miss you. But now I'm no longer alone with my sorrow. I love you mom."

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Tsunada let a breeze play through her hair as her eyes scanned her village from her ofice window. "The nine tailed fox, the one tailed raccoon, and now the eight tailed wolf. Konohagakure is now the main target for both Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. I don't know how we are going to get through this."

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There it is Please, please, please review! I won't be updating for a while like the end of Jan. In Jan I'll also be starting another fanfic about Sakura only in moder day. It's one I have been thinking about for a long time now so please keep an eye out for that. More bunny love!


	6. Lumination

This took some time since I was busy with Christmas break, my birthday, my other story 'Softer than Scarlet' and I got sick. -- Fun, I know. I want to thank everyone who has read this story, added me to their fav list and reviewed so far. You guys rock! Have a cookie!

Bun anyway here is Chapter six. I don't own Naruto...yet

* * *

Somewhere deep within the darkness of a mysterious location stood two figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds. The first one had red piercing eyes with raven black hair pulled back into a long thin pony tail. His partner stood behind him, his face lowered. His skin was a pale blue surrounding his small white eyes. A huge sword was strapped to his back. 

"Three of them all in one place?" The one with the shark like appearance asked.

"Yes Kisame, though Deidara and Sasori have discovered that their target is one of the three we are to have the first attack."

Kisame chuckled grabbing the hilt of his sword. "Good…."

"Control yourself. We are ordered to observe them before we engage them in battle. We know that the One Tailed Shukaku and the Nine tailed Kyubi are in Leaf but we still have to identify the third beast." Itachi stated calmly. "For now we watch."

* * *

Sakura sighed as Naruto's angry insults and Sai's remarking rudeness flooded her ears. 

"Would you shut up you dope?" Sasuke angrily hissed.

"You shut up teme!" Naruto shouted back.

"Stay out of this you gay hag." Sai remarked with a fake smile plastered across his face in a mocking manner.

"What did you say you-"

Sakura covered her throbbing ears in an attempt to block out the boys' fighting. She could almost feel her sensitive ears bleeding from the increasing volume. It was their second day of training and the second day of spring and Kakashi was late!

"Is that old man always his late?" She asked interrupting the soon to be fight.

"Huh, oh yeah he's never on time. He should be here soon though. He's normaly three hours late and It's been two hours and…forty five minuets!" Naruto chirped happily thrilled that Sakura was talking to him.

"If he's always late why do you always show up on time then?" She asked

All three boys blinked searching for an answer but couldn't find one. "Uh I don't know Sakura chan? I guess it's just habit."

A cloud of smoke to their right drew four pairs of eyes towards a grinning gray haired teacher. "Sorry I'm late guys but you see today I got lost on the path of life and…"

"LIAR!" Naruto shouted just like yesterday.

Ignoring Naruto's outburst the Jonin continued. "Well today I though we could spar and then take a break to talk about ourselves since we have a new member. I forgot to do that yesterday since I was busy reading."

"I call Sakura chan!" Naruto shouted linking arms with the pink haired wolf girl. Sasuke and Sai groaned having to be stuck with each other. Sakura blinked feeling the blue eyed fox boy's hand on her arm. Okami smiled to herself at seeing how Naruto reacted to Sakura.

* * *

Sakura took he place a few paces from Naruto and crouched down slightly as Naruto preformed his trademark Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, and seven Naruto clones appeared beside him. Sakura frowned beneath her mask sensing Naruto's chakra on all of his clones. "Why isn't the nine tailed fox helping him?" She asked Okami. If anything the fox is holding Naruto back by un-evening his chakra pattern making him use to much chakra for one simple move." 

Despite that Naruto's clones were fast and hard to dodge. "Interesting." She though as she bent her head back until it was inches from the ground and flipped without using her hands. She Kicked one clone making it disappear in a cloud of smoke while dodging another one. She placed both hands firmly on the ground raising her legs high into the air before spinning them wildly like a windmill while crossing her hands over one another to keep the rhythm going. Doing this any clone that came near her was instantly thrown back before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura stopped when she noticed that there were no more Narutos left. "Where is he?" She stood up and spread her feet apart closing her eyes. She smiled feeling The vibrations Naruto was causing through her un clad feet. She jumped up out of his way as he emerge from the ground. Though, the kuni thrown at her caught her off guard when on grazed her shoulder as the other three were deflected.

She Landed before jumping back to avoid he punches and kicks from seven more Naruto clones. She back flipped and then tumbled trying to get out of their range amazed at Naruto's speed. She smiled. "Though the fox may be holding him back Naruto is a strong fight who continues to grow."

* * *

Naruto and Sakura both fell back panting a few hours later. Neither Sakura nor Naruto knew the other was such a talented fighter. Naruto was completely out of chakra and Sakura was completely out of energy. Even in training Sakura dared not use Okami's chakra for fear of someone finding out her secret. 

"Wow Sakura chan, you're really really good." Naruto praised panting a little.

"As are you…Naruto. You are truly…a talented fighter." She replied panting heavily. Stumbling a bit she walked over to where Naruto was sitting and sat down."Though there is one thing I would like to see." She added. The pink haired wolf girl placed her hands around Naruto face and looked him in the eye.

"Sak...sakura ch...chan...?" He stuttred turning crimson.

"(1)Anmi!" She breathed causing Naruto's eyelids to fall in unison with Sakura's.

* * *

A white wolf with bright pink eyes tinted with white trotted swiftly through then black void and stopped outside a large cage barred tightly. "Come one out Kyubi there is no use in hiding." She commanded as a large red fox shifted into view, his nine tailes swiling around him. 

"...Dear dear (2)Ookami, to why do I owe this pleasure?" The large fox mocked with a sinister smile.

"I think you know what I want. It's plain to see that your holding the boy back and my host and I take an very ill look on that."

"And what do you care what I do or don't do to that boy?" He snarled with eyes flashing.

"He's a child. And because of you he's falling further and further from his dream. Your holding him back. Why?"

"Ah yes Ookami the loving mother wolf. I should have know you would be the one who cared. Just 'cause you have a relationship with you host doesn't mean you have to force me to have one with mine."

"Why?" She asked again more sternly.

"Why should I help the one who holds me behind these bars?" He snapped back, his aura turning a deadly color.

"You hate being caged in here think of how your boy must feel. By holding him back your condemning him to you own fate!" Okami the softened. "And also If her learns that you are trustworthy he might just rise these bars for you. That's what Sakura has done for me. Naruto wasn't the one that put you behind these bars, don't blame him." With that said Ookami got up and trotted off, back into Sakura's mind, leaving the nine tailed to think about what he just heard.

"I think it's time I had a talk with the runt." He muttred resting his head again.

* * *

When Naruto opened his eyes he found a pair of bright emerald orbs staring back at him. A scarlet blush jumping to his cheeks at his crush being so close to him. "Uh um S…Sakura chan?" He stuttered as Sakura released his head and sat back. 

"Don't worry Naruto it's nothing. I think Sasuke and Sai are done with their spar as well, let's go." She said standing up and running over to the silver haired Jonin.

Naruto blinked and touched to side of his face where her hand used to be before getting up and running after her.

When he reached the small group of ninja Naruto found them all eating their lunches and a cut of warm ramen waiting for him.

"Ramen!" He cried hugging the cup.

"Dope." Sasuke muttered.

"What did you say Teme?"

"Shut up baka." Sai grunted.

Sakura turned towards Kakashi to see him reading that same book from yesterday. The pink haired wolf girl sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"Idiot."

"Clown."

"Pervert."

"Yaro"

"Aho!"

"Henjin."

"Boke."

"Menkui!"

"SHUT UP!" Sakura shouted silencing them all.

"Why Ugly?" Sai asked still wearing that fake smile.

Ugly there was that word again. That word that her father used with her so many times. That word that rested deeply with in her brain. Ugly... So her father wasn't the only one who though she was a hag. I made her feel better knowing that she really was ugly. When people said she was pretty it made her sweet and uneasy, but when people called her ugly she felt...happy almost.

"You take that back Baka Sakura chan is not ugly!" Naruto Shouted again at Sai even more angry than before (if possible.)

"Naruto please, I don't mind it's okay." Sakura laughed making him stop shouting instantly.

"But…but Sakura channnnn." Naruto whined.

"If you're all done fighting I think It's time we got to know each other a little bit." Kakashi interrupted before another fight could break out. I know you three already did this but Sakura you're new so please tell up your name dislikes, likes, and dreams."

"Okay, my name is Sakura. I hate noise and a cretin someone. I like the quiet and the mountains. My dream if to prove that I can be a great ninja too even though I was born a girl and not a boy." Sakura stated and she could feel Okami smile with pride when she stated her dream that she fully supported. "And that's it, if you want to know more about me you'll have to ask."

"Good you did a better job than some of us." Kakashi hinted glancing over at Sasuke and Sai who were playing with their thumbs. Naruto was staring at sakura with stars in his eyes. "Now for some more training!"

* * *

On the other side of the village a man stood next to Tsunada with three sand siblings behind him. "Thank you Tsunada san for inviting us here. It's a great get away from the hash suns of Suna."  
"Your welcome Kazekage. I hope your children find leaf enjoyable." The hazel eyed woman replied. 

Behind her stood a boy with flaming red hair and sof seafome green eyes. His eyesshifted to his left and he saw the edge of training field. The one tailed beast resting inside his stirred awaken and inraged. Something in that training field was giving off strong vibes that sent him into an uproar. Tsunada looked back to see a puddle of sand where the red haired boy once stood, now nowhere to be seen.

* * *

(1) It means deep sleep. 

(2) Sakura calls the white mother wolf Okami though her real name is Ookami. Okami means ruler of the mountain or something like that and Ookami means wolf. The reason Sakura calls her this is still unknown until I tell you but I can say that it has something to do with her life before she became a demon since she was once human.

Wo hoooo. I'm done! Unlike a lot of people I don't have a lot of school to deal with and I don't have any after school clubs or sports to go to so this pretty much is my life I just slow down around Christmas. Sorry I took so long.

And just so you know I'm NOT following the story line of the manga so Garra's dad is not entirely evil and he is not dead...yet. Garra is in the fic Garra is in the fic Garra is in the fic Garra is in the fic Garra is in the fic Garra is in the fic Garra is in the fic Garra is in the fic... (chanting goes on and on and on )

Review please and tell me what you want to see... Sakura and Naruto or Sakura and Garra. Vote and tell me what you want to see. The voting begins!


	7. Destitution

It was well past noon as Sakura and Naruto jumped back from an fire based attack, complements of none other than the human ice cube Sasuke. Sai was off to the side with his painting scrolls waiting to defend the attack aimed for him. Kakashi was off to the side reading from that dang book again not even paying attention to the four way battle his students were engrossed in.

Sakura somersaulted back while throwing a few ninja stars aimed for the Sasuke's throat grunting when she saw them deflected easily. "Baka yaro," she murmured as she felt the ground underneath her shift signaling she had stepped on a trap. The trap sprung sending her back into the air unevenly. Normally she would able to land with grace but since she was thrown off balance she wouldn't have such luck. Naruto turned and shouted at her but she didn't hear him. She was too busy cursing her foolishness and the Uchiha "Chikusho."

Just when she was about land hard on the ground something shot up and grabbed her stopping her fall. Cracking open an eye she was surprised to see a hand of sand wrapped around her torso. "Nani?" She asked in confusion. "What the…?"

"Garra!" Naruto exclaimed dropping his stance and running over to his friend. "Garra! What are you doing here?"

"I thought I sensed you here so." He replied calmly despite the blonde's embarrassing hug.

Sakura huffed seeing that she was already forgotten. "That's all fine and dandy but could either one of you two help me down. My brain's rushing to my head and I'm getting sick." Sakura interrupted with her arms crossed over her chest while being held upside-down.

Garra coughed, slightly embarrassed, while commanding his sand to gently release her. The green eyed wolf girl hopped out of the giant hand of sand and calmly walked over to the two. "Domo arigato gozaimasu for letting me go." She thanked bowing slightly.

Garra nodded again in reply. "Hey Garra this is Sakura chan my new friend and teammate. Sakura chan this is my friend Garra I was telling you about." then leaning in closer so Sakura wouldn't hear Naruto whispered something to Garra. Sakura flinched feeling like hey were talking about her.

Garra offered his hand to her. "Garra, it's a pleasure Sakura san."

Sakura looked at his hand for a moment a little unsure as Okami told her to shake it. "It's a pleasure as well Garra san. I have heard nothing but good things about you from Naruto."

Garra did not reply but merely glared over at Naruto. Naruto giggled a little to himself scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"So Garra what brings you to Konoha so early? I though you said you were going to come on a visit after finishing one of your missions." Naruto asked eager to end the eerie silence that lingered over the group of three.

"The chunin exams."

"The what? But we just had those like…" Naruto stopped to stare at his fingers counting them off one by one before giving up with a huff. "We had those not too long ago."

"I might seem like that but , it is time for the exams again and that is why my family and I have traveled here." Garra replied.

Sakura blinked feeling a little left out. What were they talking about? "What do you mean?" she asked directed to no one in particular.

"Oh yeah your new so you don't know." Naruto chirped happy to be talking to Sakura. "Well the chunin exams are-" He was cut off as a failure voice called out to the group. Sakura and Naruto turned around to see Sasuke standing a few feet away with a cold expression and his arms crossed over his chest.

"What are you doing here?" He asked coldly glaring at Garra. Garra returned the glare but remained unmoving.

"Oi Sasuke teme it's just Garra, he came to visit me so back off," Naruto replied in a annoyed tone.

Sasuke scoffed and walked up to the calm red haired sandman standing almost protectively in front of Sakura. This did not go unnoticed by either of the two males as Naruto growled and Garra sneered.

"The chunin exams are still four weeks away. What are you doing in Konoha so early?" The young Uchiha sneered back ignoring their looks of displeasure when he stepped in front of Sakura.

"Is it a crime to come so early?" The red haired sandman replied keeping his voice cool and even.

"It is when no one wants you here." Sasuke replied. Naruto's eyes widened at the extremely cold comment and took a step back. That was cold even for Sasuke.

Garra winced inwardly, though he let none of his emotions show. He was used to these kind of insults and he knew how to deal with them. "Then why are you still here?"

Sasuke snarled at the sand ninja's quick remark. Ever since he lost to Garra in the chunin exams he had hated his guts. True he had won by default but it was obvious to everyone there that he was clearly outmatched making it an embarrassing event. What was even worse was that he didn't even get to pass the exam. Sai was the only one out of their group that moved on to become a chunin and he never let them forget it.

He turned on heel expecting to see Sakura before leaving but he was met with empty space. When he turned Garra and Naruto also caught sight of the empty space that Sakura was suppose to be standing. Naruto was about to shout at Sasuke again but Garra tapped his shoulder and pointed towards Kakashi and Sai where Sakura was being instructed on the rules of the chunin exams.

"I think I should be going. My family will be wondering where I went. Tell Sakura san I say goodbye Naruto." Garra stated turning to leave before a funnel of sand consumed his body.

Naruto nodded before his disappeared ad ran over to where Sakura and the rest of his team was sitting. For some reason the thought of Sasuke being around Sakura made his blood boil and he had to stop it. Wasting no time he sped off in the direction of his cherry haired teammate and the dark eyed Uchiha. His mind set on separating them.

* * *

Sakura untied the back of her forehead protector and removed it from it's perch around her neck, setting it down on her nightstand. From what she learned from Sai and Kakashi the chunin exams were a sort of test that genin like herself had to go through to advance to the chunin level. Sakura let her emerald green eyes crawl over to her forehead protector she received from Tsunada along with the lowest rank.

She slid her fingers underneath her face mask and stated to unwrap it. It was so much easier to breath without the cloth covering her mouth and she loved the feeling. Her hair was down now, released from it's braid, as well cascading down her back and ending at the back of her knees. A small knife gleamed laying next to her hair tie.

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror and frowned a bit. Growling she threw a blanked over the reflective surface obscuring the view. Looking at herself in the mirror was not one of her favorite pastimes. She hated looking at herself.

"Okami." She called closing her eyes and retreating into the deepest coroners of her mind where the white mother wolf rested.

"Yes my daughter?" Okami purred in a motherly manner lifting her head and allowing Sakura to tread closer. "What is it my dear?"

Sakura inhaled deeply before replying. "…I don't want you help during the chunin exams."

Okami blinked and turned her head to the side in a questing manner. "Why so my child?

"I noticed today with Naruto how strong he was without the nine tailed fox helping him. I can't be that strong without you helping me and I think I need to grow a little on my own. If I fail the chunin exams I'll fail it knowing I'm not yet strong enough and need to improve. Please, you can't baby me like this for the rest of my life. I need to do this."

Okami lowered her head and whined a bit thinking about what the pink haired wolf girl had just asked. Sakura was like a daughter to her and as a mother she felt the need to protect her. Every time the said girl fell and cut herself, even as a small child, she would waste no time healing her of all her injuries. She looked up at her somewhat daughter and sighed.

"Alright but on several conditions. First of all if something bad happens, worst case scenario, and you life becomes endangered I will step in to save you. Second I get to heal you. Naruto's demon fox dose that much for him so I think that's fair. And lastly, If someone enters my mind or you inner sanctuary is invaded I will step in and remove them. Those are my terms take 'em or leave 'em.

"I except you're terms Okami." Sakura replied with a bright smile before pouncing on the motherly wolf in a big hug. "Thankie me-ma." She giggled in a childish voice using the white wolf's old nickname.

* * *

A few doors down a boy in bright orange pajamas was finishing the last bits of his Raman while trying to hold back a yawn. His bright blue eyes were heavy as he felt his body begging for sleep. Naruto threw away his empty Ramen cup and started to exit the kitchen heading for his bedroom when he felt a hand grab his neck and squeeze it before releasing it abruptly.

"What the…?" He choked spinning around to come face to face with an empty apartment room.

The sensation hit him again this time in the chest making him double over in pain. He groaned falling over to his side letting a cold sweet run down his face as he saw light dance behind his eyes. He choked back a scream right before the darkness swallowed up the light signaling that he had passed out.

When he opened his eyes again he found himself in a sewer like location with a deadly aura appearance from down one of the corridors. He sat up rubbing the back of his head and took in his surroundings. Being the curious ninja he was Naruto decided to wander down that hall.

"Gah, it stinks down here." He gagged clutching his nose in an attempt to block out the increasing stench. "It's even worse than the sour milk I had for breakfast this morning."

His hand fell from his face limp when he saw a tall iron cage with a seal in the middle. But what really shocked his was not the immense size of the cage or the forbidden seal in the middle but the pair of piercing red eyes that gazed back at him. A row of sharp fangs separated in a laugh. Naruto stepped back a bit frightened at the beast staring back at him.

"Ha ha, ha. Don't worry too much Naruto san I won't bite you." The beast laughed behind the iron bars. "But I think it's time you and I had a talk."

* * *

Garra shifted in his seat on the roof of the building he was sitting on and blinked tiredly. This was the time of day he would sit and let his mind wander. Night. The time when all slipped into sleep except him. He always envied those that could close their eyes and leave the conscious world and it's worries leaving him to drown in his own.

His main trouble would have to be the one tail raccoon that rested inside him. Always pacing back and forth in his mind clawing deeply at his brain. He hated that constant feeling. But today, today was different. It was true that being around Naruto and the nine tailed fox quieted the monster down, being in the presence of a higher tailed beast, but he still didn't stop. But today for the first time in Garra's life his monster stopped and _cowered_ in the back of his mind. He had never cowered, ever. So what was different about today that made his demon still.

A warm feeling ran up and down his spine when a vision of the pink haired girl flashed through his mind. Was it her? He blinked once more and set his gaze on the incomplete lavender moon that was handing from the night sky. He ran a hand through his messy scarlet hair and breathed deeply. That calm feeling had been like a drink of cold water in the desert. So cool and refreshing. He would have to visit her and Naruto again real soon and see if hat feeling returned. He smirked at that idea and chuckled a bit.

He shifted the heavy gourd the hung from his back and breathed deeply before staring down at the empty streets aglow with the light of the moon. The chunin exams would fall on a full moon when his demon was strongest. He remembered the last time he was fighting under a full moon and shuddered inwardly. Something about a full moon strengthened the monster within him enough strength to over power the green eyed boy and consume him.

"Just a few more hours till the sun rises," he though awaiting the golden ball of fire to accent into the sky ending his lonely night. "Just a few more hours and I'll be able to see _her_ again."

* * *

Whaaaaa It's not as long or as good as I was hoping it would be. Plese don't kill me! School just started up again and now I'm eating my words since I said I didn't have that much work and now I do. I really wish it was longer and better written but That's okay since I plan on making this a very long story and I have the plot all planed out now.

It's a little rushed and 'hot of the press' so I'm sorry if it shows. But review anyway and continue to tell me if you want this to be a Garra Sakura or Naruto Sakura fic. And yes Naruto did drink sour milk not knowing it was sour until later in the day. - I know I'm mean.


	8. Too cold

Yes an update! Sorry to all of you who had to wait so long for his I am really, really, really sorry. I've been busy with my other life off the internet, Oooo scary I know. I've been working on making the chapters longer yet still interesting so tell me if it's working.

I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters…so I stole them and placed them in this fic. Read enjoy and review. Flames are welcome to keep me warm in the cod winter months as I sit typing in my dark cellar.

* * *

**Too Cold**

Sakura growled in her sleep as her fangs flashed fiercely in her sleep as she tossed and turned. Her eyebrows were knitted together in and expression of pain as her eyes remained shut tightly. He back arched and she turned slightly to the left. Her hands reached out and clawed at her sheets strangling them in her death grip. Beads of sweet rolled down her forehead and her breath became irregular.

"…No…no….no…." She whispered in a pained tone.

Shadows and scenes flashed behind closed eyes as her heartbeat hitched speeding faster then the flutter of a dying bird. Her head thrashed slightly to the side as the movie rolled through her mind over and over.

"No….NO!" She screamed as her upper body snapped forwards, her dawn tinted locks sticking to her sweet covered face. Her breathing came out in gasps as her body trembled with the forbidden emotion…fear.

She clutched her head and groaned swinging her small pale legs over the edge of her bed and hopped off. Grabbing the sheet off her bed she wrapped it around her and waddled out into the living room and snuggled into the deep cushions of her big leather armchair.

She was having another one of her nightmares about her father. She had so many of them so many ties she should have been use to them but it was a sore nerve she didn't want to pick at. Sometimes they were about him coming back into her life and hurting her again. Others were just flashback from when he beat her as a child.

_A small green eyed child no older than her fifth year peeked her head around the edge of the screen door looking at her father shyly. She was wearing a pale pink yuka and her hair was tied up in a bun. Her father was slouched over in his chair, a sake bottle, hanging from his fingertips. As he right hand was draped over his eyes trying to push down the growing handover that was making it's way through his mind._

_Sensing her a few feet away he let his hand fall from his eyes and glared at the pale trembling girl. "What do you want now tramp?" He snarled his saffron yellow eyes menacing._

_Sakura ducked her head down and trembled her voice shaking. "Um the…water, it's too cold. There is still frost in it and it numbs my hands whenever I try to touch it."_

_"What? That's it? You came in here and bothered me about that?" He snapped standing up quickly angered. His empty sake bottle falling from his fingertips and rolling out of the way._

_"I…I'm s…sorry daddy. I'm sorry."_

_"You better be…" He growled drawing closer and closer to the terrified little girl._

_"N…no daddy, please no I'm sorry daddy."_

Sakura growled grabbing her head remembering the beginning of her dream. It was a flashback of the time they were staying at a hotel and he told her to wash her face with the rain water outside. Being in the dead middle of winter and dawn of night the water was freezing cold with frost and all. Naturally she couldn't use the water and tiptoed towards their room to tell her father.

Her father was drunk and sick from so much sake, a sinful pleasure he drowned himself in more then he should have. When he heard the voice of his only daughter that had brought so much trouble to his life he wanted to kill something, namely her.

Sakura pulled the white sheet up closer to her body pulling it up over her exposed shoulders and tucking it under her chin. Her gray tank top and shorts did little to keep out the uncaring cold that nipped at her exposed skin. Letting her long dawn tinted locks fall around her she remembered the rest of that little incident so many long years ago.

_His hand reached out and grabbed her by the hair yanking her up and dragging her outdoors. Sakura tried to stand up and walk with him but being dragged so roughly made that difficult._

_"Daddy I'm sorry please don't do this I promise I won't complain anymore. Please daddy…" The small girl sobbed her voice hitching through her tears._

_"Your such a whiny little piece of filthy trash not worth of spit! You little tramp I'll teach you not to complain." He hissed his dark red hair reminding her too much of dried blood at that moment._

_"No, no please daddy…"_

_He yanked her sharply silencing her pleas dragging her over to two different basins filled with water. He made a hand seal and touched the top of the water. Soon the still waters began to quiver and churn now boiling at a high temperature._

_"So the waters are too cold for you eh princess?" He asked, his words heavily laced with sarcasm that scared her. "Let's see how you like the water now you Kyojakuji."He finished thrusting her headfast first into the boiling water._

_She screamed and trashed as the waters burned her skin. Her lungs began to soon burn as well due to lack of oxygen. "please…" She thought praying to God. "Please just let it end I'm sorry."_

_"That's right you Baita. That'll teach you to complain to me. What is it too hot for you? Oh I'm sorry let's fix than shall we?" He taunted yanking her back out of the water for a brief moment allowing her enough time to briefly catch her breath before he slammed her face down into the freeing cold waters. The waters around her hissed as her warm face hit it's icy surface before submerging._

_Her legs and arms kicked and thrashed violently as she tried to pull her head up out of the waters. Even through the waters she could hear her father's taunting laughter._

_He pulled her head up out of the cold basin and dunked it into the boiling water again. After holding her under for a while he pulled her out and dunked her under the cold then the hot water over and over again. He grew tired of the torture._

_"Let this be a lesson to you tramp. Don't you dare come to me and complain about all your crap. You hear me you little baita?" He asked kicking her side as she lay curled up on the ground._

"I'm a sorry sap that can't get to sleep how much more pathetic can you get?" She thought pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin in between her knees.

"Not very much." Someone said from behind her startling her. She had been so caught up in her memories she didn't even notice him sneak up on her.

She squeaked startled, falling out of her chair in a rushed attempt to cover her exposed face. "G…Gaara san hat are you doing here and so late at night? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

The red haired sandman scoffed and looked away. "…I don't sleep." Was all he said after a brief pause of silence.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and brought the blanket up covering most of her hair at the bottom of her face. The top part was resting just above her eyes leaving little exposed. 'I guess he doesn't talk much,' she though. He blinked slowly and turned to look at her curiously. She shrank under his gaze and shivered. He was looking at her and she found it very uncomfortable. "What are you looking at?"

"…why do you cover yourself so much? What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid!…I just don't like people…looking…seeing me. It feels so wrong. I have always concealed myself it would be weird if I were to just stop now. My body is precious to me and I treasure it." Sakura replied softly looking down. Unknowingly she pulled the sheets around her body closer.

"…I see." He then looked away so Sakura's relief letting her relax a little. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"Hmm? Me, I just was…umm well you first! You tell me first why you are awake then I'll tell you why I can't sleep."

"…I can't sleep. It's not like I could if I wanted to I have Insomnia and have never left the conscious state. So like I said before It's not like I could if I wanted to." Gaara replied coolly without looking at her until after he finished his sentence.

'Is the insomnia caused by Shukaku?' Sakura asked Okami frowning when her mother like wolf nodded in reply.

"Now it's your turn, why are you awake?"

"Heh I don't have an excuses like you do, just some nightmares. Nothing real bad."

"…I always envied everyone else for being able to sleep. Since I never could…"

"I understand what you mean but sometimes it's better your way. You can't sleep you can't dream. Dreams don't always bring visions of sugarplums and candy canes, sometimes they bring things you wished were never there. Some things you wish to never see."

"…What do you dream about?" Garra asked blinking slowly again.

Sakura frowned when he asked about her nightmare. From what she remembered Naruto telling her about his friend at the ramen bar Gaara wasn't one to talk that much or at lease not this much. "It was just a little something about my past I'd rather not re-live. But tell me, from what I've heard you don't talk that much, why are you talking to me?"

Gaara closed his eyes and looked away. The truth was that being around her Shukaku quitted down, it wasn't a coincident. She really did quite the monster within him. He fidgeted debating whether to tell her or not.

"How much did Naruto tell you about me?"

"Not much, why?" Sakura asked already knowing where he was going with this.

"…Shukaku." With that said he disappeared in a whirlwind of his trademark sand.

"Dang I need to learn how to do that only with leaves or no wait ,Sakura petals yeah Sakura petals would be perfect. Hey Okami you think you could teach me that? Okami…?"

The eight tailed white wolf sat silently with her fluffy snow white tales swirling behind her. Her head was bent downward concealing her eyes in shadow. "Shukaku kun…,"she murmured with a slight growl.

* * *

Naruto was sitting on the railing of team seven's bridge waiting for Sakura chan to arrive. He was looking forward to surprising her with his new strength in their spar. He smiled to himself when he remembered last night's strange yet blessed events.

"Dobe…" Sasuke muttered coming up and leaning against the opposite railing with a grunt.

Naruto glared but remained silent, controlling his emotions. Screw his spar with Sakura chan he would impress her while beating the teme's butt. A vision of Sakura chan running up to him and hugging him after he defeated Sasuke played through his mind calming him down.

Speaking of the pink haired beauty her footsteps sounded pulling both boys eyes' towards her. She held her hands in her pockets and she carried her head low in a sleepy manner. She mumbled a hello before leaning her back against the railing. Grumbling to herself she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to rub off her sleepiness but it was useless.

Naruto bent down to Sakura's level and smiled. "Ohayo-gozaimasu Sakura chan!" Did you sleep well?"

Sakura slowly lifted her head and stared at the hyper blue eyed ninja in front of her. She swore it was a sin to be too hyper in the morning. Naruto cringed slightly under her harsh gaze but continued to smile. "No." Naruto blinked confused. "…No Naruto I did not sleep well last night. How long until Kakashi sensei gets here?"

"Uh not for another two hours why?" Naruto replied happily.

"Would you like to train with me Naruto? I'm still half asleep so I think a work out would do me good." She replied standing up and heading towards the training fields.

Naruto blinked confused a bit before breaking into a foxy grin and shooting a taunting face towards Sasuke who was grumbling about not being asked to train with Sakura. Sasuke only replied with a cold Uchiha glare.

Sakura stretched her arms and bent down to touch her toes without bending her knees in a warm up exercise. Naruto bounced up to her as well and mirrored her exercises.

"Ready?" She called, smiling when Naruto nodded. "Good 'cause I won't go easy on you like I did yesterday."

Sakura bent her knees and jumped up spinning while throwing a few senbon needles. Naruto jumped out of the way and created a few clones of himself. Sakura jumped down and ran towards one of the clones. Up, down, left, down, right, up, left, down. She blocked his attacks. She jumped back creating some distance between the two as a few more colons charged at her. She bent back onto her hands and spun her legs around her body taking out a few clones. One more came at her and she kicked it in the neck breaking it instantly. With a poof it was gone. One more jumped into the air and she jumped up behind him grabbing his arms and crossing them behind his back. She pulled her knees up to her chest and dug the into the clones back ramming it's body into the ground. When the dust cleared she found herself standing in the middle of a large crater alone.

"Nice job on conserving your chakra Naruto, but I want to fight you not your clones." she called walking out of the huge ditch.

"Then let's fight." Naruto whispered in a deep voice appearing behind her with a kunai at her neck.

Sakura smirked when Naruto was shoved back from her body landing with a dull thud. "What was that?" He asked

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." She purred pulling up a kunai as well and slashing at his chest only to meet the cold steel of his weapon.

Up, left, down, right, left, right, down, up, left. Naruto blocked trying to edge in an attack every now and then. Smirking he draped one of his legs around one of hers and pulled it out from underneath her making her lose balance and fall on to her back.

She grunted when she fell and then cursed when she felt his cold steel at her neck. He was using on f his hands to hold both of her arms above her head and was sitting on her waist. His face was inches above her own and she could see his dark whisker grow even darker as he smirked.

"I got 'ya." He whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She could see his eyes take on a crimson shade as his whisker marks grew more defined.

"Do you?" She asked smiling deviously as her body turned completely pink before cracking a bit under his weight. He growled a little seeing this. The cracks ran all over her body as they began to burst into Sakura petals dancing in the wind.

'Thanks for teaching me that last night Okami.' Sakura thought as she charged Naruto from behind.

Sasuke was having a hard time controlling his anger as he watched the two spar. Naruto was way to close to Sakura for his liking and with that little stunt he just pulled pinning her down oh he was real close to being dead. Sasuke gripped the he of his shirt and growled.

'The dobe is dead,' he thought counting off all the ways he could kill the poor boy.

Kakashi poofed upon the team of now three, since Sai was release to a higher level, and saw something he thought he would never see. Sasuke was jealous of Naruto. And what he was jealous of made him chuckle even more. It was Sakura, a girl. The day Sasuke got jealous of Naruto over a girl was the day Kakashi swore off his treasured 'books'. He never thought it would happen.

"Okay team listen up!" He called gathering the attention of all three hoping to relieve some of the tension.

Sakura pulled her body out of a defensive position and started to trot over to her teacher. Naruto pouted returning to his normal hyper self. He was having so much fun with Sakura chan and Kakashi had to come in and ruin it. He smirked seeing Sasuke's relieved expression he wasn't completely stupid of course he knew the teme liked Sakura and seeing them fight so close tighter had really ticked him off.

"The chunin exams are starting soon so today we're going to work on teamwork since it's something you all need help in." The silver haired jonin said muttering the last part to himself.

Sakura and Naruto jogged up to the two catching Kakashi's announcement wit Sakura standing between the two. "Kakashi sensei, will I be taking Sai's place for the exams?" Sakura asked

"Yeah since Sai has already passed you will be taking his place. Now sharpen up training begins now!"

Sakura closed her eyes loosing herself deep in thought. 'The exams are coming up soon…I have a feeling this is going to be interesting.'

* * *

Next Chapter is the beginning of the exam! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while but I had mid terms and all but they are over so I can concentrate on my stories once more! Once again so very sorry. Review please!


	9. Void

Yes this is the beginning of the exam, the written test part is really crappy but I wanted to just breeze through it so I could get to the forest of death. I am so happy I've found my muse for this fic or else I would have dropped it. Thankfully I have overcome my writers block and can continue. Read review and enjoy!

* * *

**Void **

**X**

**X**

**X**

Sakura let her hands rest on her hips as she walked in between Naruto and Sasuke towards the first exam room. Naruto was currently informing her on the rules and objective of the first test. From what she understood the objective was to gather information without being caught, simply put to cheat.

"Dobe," Sasuke interrupted.

"What's with you teme?" Naruto whined at being interrupted and then insulted while talking to Sakura.

"…Do you really think they'll use the same rules and objectives as last year when half of the class will be returning gennins that were here six months ago?"

"So you think it'll be different this year?" Sakura asked keeping her eyes set on the hall in front of her.

Naruto just huffed crossing his arms over her chest as Sasuke continued. "Yes I believe so. All the same it's still a good idea to cheat for the answers."

"…I don't need to cheat. If I understand correctly the point of this test is to examine a team's teamwork and moral ground. Cheating is irrelevant."

"Yeah that's it Sakura chan, I was about to say that when Sasuke teme interrupted me." Naruto chirped folding his hands behind his head with a laugh.

Sasuke and Sakura just stared at him as they stood outside the doorway to the room where the first exam would be held. Sakura had asked the two if they could come last to avoid the crowds that arrived an half hour early, not wanting to be seen by too many eyes. The boys were both more than happy to comply though they hid their eagerness well, something that confused the young girl.

Gripping the handle Sasuke slid the door open allowing the group to enter and separate to their assigned seats. Sakura slid a stray cherry pink lock behind her ear as she took her seat in one of the back rows. She let her eyes wonder around the room scanning the area, just to be on the safe side. Old habits were hard to drop.

She fingered the headband around her neck as she spotted a few familiar faces Naruto had pointed out earlier. There was the blond haired girl and her cough oversized teammate. Naruto had told her about how their teammate Shikamaru had passed on to become chunin and a Girl named Hinta was taking his place. The shy girl with the blue hair and white eyes sat a few seats away playing with her fingers. Her other two teammates had also moved on to become chunin. Kiba and Shino.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when the empty seat next to her was pulled out. Sakura darted her eyes to her left without turning her head and smiled a bit at what she saw. Gaara was pulling the seat out before sitting down next to her with a stone solid expression. Sakura was glad the person sitting next to her was someone she knew and not some weird stranger. She offered a small smile mostly masked by her bandages before fixing her eyes back on the front of the classroom.

She didn't expect the sand nin to breath a word during the entire exam let alone start a conversation but then she was wrong before. "…How are you doing so far?"

"Considering that the exams have just started I'm doing fine." She replied not bothering to turn her head or meat his gaze.

"…Not the exams. I meant your dreams."

Sakura was a little surprised that he would remember her troubling sleeping fits let alone show a concern for them, no one had done that for her. But then again no one had ever known. "I'm doing fine, it was just that one time. What about you how are you doing with your seeping problem?"

"…I've always had it so it's not a problem." He replied coolly as if he didn't care.

"That's good." She replied before a still yet calm silence settled over the two. She couldn't see it but Gaara was busy shooting fierce filler glares at a few stray males that had turned around to get a look at the hot new girl that had arrived in Konoha.

Soon the Teacher for the written exam entered the room escorted by two chunin. Sakura remembered his name was Ibiki, an expert at interrogations. A wolfish grin played across her hidden lips as excitement too hold of her. With an expert like himself direction the first part of the exam this should be interesting.

After explaining the rules in an intimidating manner he looked up at the clock waiting for the seconds hand to reach 12, when it did he shouted at the group of aspiring chunin to begin. Sakura gripped her pencil as her eyes wandered over the words printed on her paper, much to her desire all those years of studying under Okami were paying off.

Letting one of her eyes wander over to Gaara she saw his palm out, resting on the desk as his other hand covering his left closed eye with two fingers. In the middle of his palm she saw a small swirl of sand gather forming and eye. With one quick movement the eye was crushed within his fist sending the gains of sand flying. She looked over at Sasuke who was using his Sharingan to copy the movements of another student's pencil stealing his answers.

Sakura sat back and thought to herself for a moment, Sasuke and Gaara knew how to get these answers but what about Naruto? Glancing over to her golden haired friend she was shocked to see his hurriedly scribbling away. All she could see was the side of his face and most of the back of his head but when he turned slowly to his side she could see a pair of crimson red orbs replacing his normal cerulean blue eyes.

"So the nine tailed was helping him with his questions, that's good. I'm glad they have at least the beginnings of a relationship like Okami and I have." She though resting a hand under her chin in a casual manner. Soon he would ask the 10 question and then thy could pass after answering it.

She could feel a tension in the air as more and more kids were called out already failing the exam. There was a lot of hostile and negativity in the air in an almost choking manner. She suspected this was meant to be there to freak the lesser students out. After all only the strong would be able to pass.

Soon the red minuets hand fell on the needed number signaling that there were only five minuets left of the exam. "Alright listen up you brats," Ibiki grunted roughly. "Here is the tenth question so make sure to focus you attention on me."

Sakura fixed her cold calculating eyes on the scarred Jonin but winced when a pain shot through her brain. Wincing again she cursed when her vision started to blur. "Kuso, he's using a genjutsu on the entire class." She though as she formed the necessary hand seals before mumbling 'Kai' to break the illusion. When she opened her eyes again she noticed that over half the class was asleep, thankfully Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara were not.

"So the question is…are you awake?" Ibiki asked with a slight smile. "All of you who are awake now pass and may proceed to the next part of the exam."

Groaning Sakura sat back in her seat as Naruto and a few others cheered. She was hoping for the first part to be a bit more…challenging or dangerous to say the least. Their cheering was soon interrupted by a ball of cloth crashing through the window only to separate revealing a woman with spiky lavender hair wearing a long tan trench coat.

"Alright you maggots listen up and listen good, this is no time to be celebrating cause by the time I'm done with you over half of you won't even be here!" She cried pointing a finger out at the silent crowd.

"…Hey Anko lady your early again!" Naruto shouted standing up and pointing at her.

The said woman chuckled sheepishly and turned around to look at Ibiki who was nodding in response. "Ah, well that's to test you ninja skills stupid!" She shot back . "Now hurry up and get out of here the second part of the exam is going to start in a half hour so be there or your entire team will be forfeited." An with another puff of smoke she was gone.

"I'm taking it she did this last time?" Sakura mumbled rubbing her eyes as Gaara grunted a yes in response. "Anyway I hope her part of the exam is more interesting than this kiddy test."

Gaara turned his head quickly to the right to catch Sakura's back departing from the room. "Kiddy test?"

**X**

Naruto fidgeted a bit standing next to Sakura as he and the rest of his team stood in front of one of the many gates leading into the forest of death as Anko called it. The green eyed kunoichi seemed a little ticked off for some reason and he could practically feel the impatienceness radiating off of her. He took it Sakura was not one who liked to wait.

"Um Sakura chan are you okay?"

Sakura twitched a bit but nodded mealy grunting a reply. She didn't know what was happening to her. Everyone including the teachers were talking about how dangerous this exam was and how hard it would be and that got her blood going. It was almost as if a dormant part of her had suddenly awaken craving…blood and it scared her. Her tongue ran over her fangs from underneath her mask as her lips curved upward in a wolfish grin. Thankfully no one noticed this.

Much to her satisfaction the large looming gates swung open with a loud clang revealing a rugged path leading into the thicket of the forest. Eagerly her legs bent, thrusting her body forward in a arched running position that let her cut through the wind giving her incredible speed even she didn't know she possessed. Sasuke and Naruto were a bit surprised by her speed but quickly recovered pumping chakra into their legs, chasing after her.

"Hey Sakura chan wait up!" Naruto called catching up to her as she slowed down to a stop o a tree's branch.

"What's the matter Naruto, I though out objective was to reach the tower located in the middle of this forest with a Heaven and earth scroll as soon as possible. Why do you want to stop?"

"Relax Sakura chan the teme and I have done this before so we know how to handle ourselves. And besides we have five days to reach the tower with both scrolls, there's no rush." He happily replied in a relaxed tone holding his arms behind his head.

"Baka, if you have an attitude like that you're gonna get us all in trouble. I agree with Sakura we should get to the tower as soon as possible even if we do have all the time in the world." Sasuke remarked crossing his arms over his chest.

Naruto groaned and mumbled something about how Sasuke was only saying that to agree with Sakura chan and how cool it made him look.

Sakura frowned underneath her mash as she bowed her head in a thinking position. "Naruto, you said we have five days to reach the tower right?" Naruto nodded. "And if last night was a…" Sakura then let her voice drift as her mind took over. Upon reaching a conclusion her eyes widened in either shock or surprise or maybe even fright. "We have to reach the tower within three days, four will be too late."

"What's so bad about four days, why dose it have to be within three Sakura chan?" Naruto asked as Sakura suddenly took off with both boys following her.

"In three days… it will be a full moon." She murmured increasing her speed not wanting to explain further.

**X **

Gaara grunted with displeasure as they stood in front of the tower within the forest where the first part of the test would end. His sister ad brother were both in possession of a heaven and earth scroll that he had retrieved for them by means he wished not to speak of. What can you say old habits are hard to fully break.

"Hey Gaara," his older brother called standing in front of the door ready to enter. "Are you ready?"

The crimson haired sand lover did not reply but continued to stare out at the tree tops almost as if in a trance. His steady gaze was however broken when a loud explosion echoed thought the forest sending a tall pillar of ignition and fire into the air.

"Whoa someone must have been in a sick mood. I doubt anyone within two hundred feet survived that blast." Temari mused giving off a low whistle. "Good thing it wasn't any of us though, right? Anyway let's go on in I'm getting a little hungry and I could use a rest after such a nice little run."

Gaara frowned but followed anyway. That explosion was giving him a bad feeling and he didn't like bad feelings. The only thing he could think of was the pink haired kunoichi that seemed to be taking up most of his thoughts lately. Walking through the double doors a single word escaped his lips heard only by him.

"Sakura."

**X**

A few hours after departing team 7 was following a chakra trail hoping to retrieve either a heaven or an earth scroll hoping it was the later since they already had an heaven scroll. Sakura was eyeing her surrounding hoping to find an enemy to fight but was greatly disappointed when they all ran off after seeing Sasuke, the last remaining Uchiha. It looked like they would have to track down their pray if they ever hoped to retrieve a scroll.

Her blood raced faster craving something to destroy, something to scream in pain and bleed for her. Shaking her head she tried to calm herself pushing the sick urge down. She didn't really know what was happening to her. The only time she felt anything like this was when the boars attacked and even then it was the desire for revenge not a slaughter. It almost felt like something that was always there that was always held back was finally breaking free into her conscious. It was a weird twisted feeling raging inside of her and she didn't like it one bit. She though about asking Okami about it but decided against it telling herself that she needed to do this on her own.

Returning to reality she listened as Naruto shouted something at Sasuke and Sasuke responding with a brief 'hn' not really caring if he was being insulted.

Something in the corner of her eye caught Sakura's attention bring her to a halt. Sasuke and Naruto also stopped seeing her tensed figure. She brought a finger to her lips signaling for quite and hopped down from the tree to the forest's floor. A few yards away something white was laying on the ground half covered in dirt that was kicked aside. She made a hand signal for Naruto and Sasuke to stay back and cautiously proceeded forward. Towering above it she brushed the clump of dirt away and cursed strongly as an explosive tag stared back at her forebodingly.

Her eyes went wide as she cast a quick glance around, she saw multiple tags scattered around her waiting for someone to fall into their trap. Again she cursed herself for falling so blindly into such an obvious trap. She felt a few chakras close by and cursed once again knowing they were here to activate the tag. There was no time to run, these explosives were the heavy duty kind that would tear her to shreds most likely.

Spinning quickly on her heel she cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted to her teammates. "RUN!"

They didn't need to be told twice and were soon retreating. Sakura jumped into the air hoping to put at least a little bit of distance behind her and the bombs before they detonated knowing she wouldn't get five feet.

Suddenly everything seemed to slip into slow motion as the first tag went off. Naruto and Sasuke called her name almost stopping as the fiery inferno of the next bomb went off. Three…four, five more went off and she was still running at such a slow crawling pace it seemed. Then the core tag was set off and the whole area around her was enveloped in fire and noise as a loud 'BOOM' echoed throughout the forest.

Sakura felt her body leaving the earth as it was flung through the air as lifeless as a rag doll. Her last thought before closing her jewel colored eyes to the awaiting darkness were about how she never had to deal with such annoying bombs in her mountains.

**X**

_Nothing._

_There was nothing._

_Darkness swiftly descended upon Sakura's body as she felt if drifting through a lifeless void that seemed to go on forever and ever without end. Why did this place seem so familiar to her? Her eyes were closed halfway in a dreary appearance as she suddenly felt very sleepy or maybe just drained of energy. She noticed her body was very cold and yet it refused to shiver or acknowledge that it desired heat._

_She noticed that her long bubblegum colored hair was loose and swirling around her no longer in it's usual braid. Her mask was gone and in place of her normal uniform she was clad in a simple lace trimmed sleeping gown that came down to above her knees. _

_Her pale body drifted through the dream like space with lack of any gravity until something cut the silence and made her chest tighten in agony._

"_Mommy?" A soft bell like voice cried out in the darkness_

"_Daddy?" Only shadows met her vision as she drifted through the abyss._

"_Somebody?" The voice called again sounding so young and innocent._

"_Is anybody there?" It wailed. She wanted to call out to it and comfort the sadness in the voice but she found herself without speech and unable to do anything._

"_Please help, I don't wanna face the nightmares on my own!" It cried again clearly breaking down into tears from loneliness. She couldn't see whoever owned the sad voice but she felt the need to rush to it and murmur soothing words that were never spared on her as a child._

"_Please!" It cried again even more desperate._

"_Someone!" Sakura's heart felt like it was breaking._

"_I don't wanna do this on my own!" It cried through the darkness._

_Suddenly the feeling a wind rushing up from underneath her limp lifeless body drew her away from the voice as it grew more and more faint._

"_Please…someone…I don't wanna be alone."_

**X

* * *

**

Done! Wow it's past 12:00 midnight here and I'm still up typing this. I gotta lay off the chocolate. I'm not gonna tell you if Sakura is dead or not but I bet you can already guess. I really wanted to add a little more Sakura Gaara or Sakura Naruto but I couldn't. Next chapter when Naruto finds her all beaten up he gets mad and all so there will bee some Possessive/protective Sakura x Naruto ness in the next chapter, promise! Please review, it means so much to me.


	10. Unwanted Encounters

Yes an update! Sorry to all of you who had to wait so long for his one as well. I am so extremely sorry to you all. But not to worry spring break is here for me. Early I know but I'm not complaining.

I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters…I wish you people would stop thinking I did. I mean really If I did I wouldn't be here now would I?

As always read, enjoy, and review. Flames are welcome to keep me warm in the cod winter months (even though I'm on spring break) as I sit typing in my dark cellar.

* * *

**Unwanted Encounters**

**X**

**X**

**X**

A pair of liquid emerald eyes slowly fluttered open, despite the heaviness that weighted them down. How long had she been out of it? Sakura groaned and shifted her arm back, forcing her upper body forward. A cold sweat trickled down her body and her breathing was irregular with deep breathes and sharp spikes.

A few of her loose bangs fell in front of her line of vision but she didn't bother to remove them. Her vision was already greatly blurred thanks to that explosion.

The explosion!

As memories came flooding back to her Sakura growled and cursed herself for being so stupid and not noticing it sooner. How could she be so blind? A genin set it for Pokey's sake! She was better that that and yet she was falling for traps an academy student could detect. But then… there was just something about it that…did something to her. She couldn't really explain it, it just was. But that was no excuse! She was the monster hidden in the mountains that was feared and regarded as a legend all over and here she was falling for a freaking genin's trap!

No. That wasn't a genin's trap. There was something about it, being to complex and powerful for it to belong to a genin. There was also something familiar about it that currently escaped her memory. She couldn't put her finger on it but there was something about it that reminded her about…NO! There was no going back there, she wouldn't even think about. It was just a stupid genin's trap that she just happened to fall in to. Nothing more.

Bringing her mind out of such troubling thoughts Sakura looked down and slightly winced seeing her mangled and bloodied body. Her red jacket was gone, most likely burned in the inferno of the explosion, and the rest of her was just a plain old mess. Her black jumpsuit was severely scorched and shredded all over exposing her many second and third degree burns that were healing right before her eyes thanks to Okami. She saw her flesh crawling back together returning to their pale nude tone from the charred and disgusting black they once were. The process was a slow one and took a fair amount of time but was well worth it in the end. There was a lot of blood as well but not much. It was mostly just burn marks that occasionally did bleed.

Sakura inwardly whimpered at her lack of clothing and shook slightly. Her legs were mostly bare of clothing with the fabric ending in a tatted mess a ways above the knees. Both of her arms were completely exposed with only a few tattered pieces handing off her wrists. But what freaked Sakura out the most was that all of her lower stomach was exposed with the remains of her outfit just barely covering her chest in an un-modest way. Her dirtied white bindings were now visible through the pathetic excuse for a modest top and Sakura hurriedly started to tie loose ends together trying to conceal as much as possible.

She breathed in deeply letting her arms fall down to her sides to rest. Her head was screaming like crazy and her vision was still mostly blurry. Could it get any worse?

Panicking she reached up to her face searching for the bandages the concealed her from the rest of the world. She let out a relieved sigh when she felt them still tightly secured around her head. The bottom of it was a bit loose most likely due to the charred marks, but it was still intact none the less.

"Just wait, once I get my hands on the baka that set that trap I'm goanna-ugh!" Sakura moaned falling backwards due the pain in her stomach that shot through out her entire body when she tried to stand up. "…After I heal…"

With those last words falling off her lips, Sakura leaned back and let another way of dreamless sleep wash over her entire being unaware of a trio of shadows that surrounded her with eager eyes.

**X**

Naruto growled as his cerulean blue eyes flashed crimson briefly as he drove a kunai into the gut of another grass nin that made the mistake of stumbling upon him in his angered state. His golden blond hair was wild and untamed and his whisker marks were darker and more defined than normal. His clothes were scorched in many places and a few burns still remained all over his body. Most of the larger ones were already gone, thanks to the nine tailed fox leaving a few first and second degree burns that he didn't even feel. He was numb to the pain as he lashed out again taking down another one of the three grass nin that had attacked him.

After the explosion he was knocked back several hundred feet falling unconscious after hitting his head on a tree's branch a little too roughly. He didn't know where Sasuke was and at the moment he didn't really care, he knew Sasuke could take car of himself. What he was really concerned about was Sakura since she was right on top of that blast. He needed to find her and watch over her. In her state he doubted she could do much of anything. Her state, considering that she was still even…

No!

He wouldn't think about that. She was alive and she was okay and he would find her as soon as he was finished with these damn grass ninjas. Even though it had been many hours since the explosion went off he would find her and she would be okay.

He roared in rage and slashed at another blurred body in his way. There would be hell to pay when he got his hands on the jerks that set that trap if something happened to her. His eyes now fully stained crimson red as anger and rage too root in his heart. There would be a blood bath for certain if he found her severely hurt or worse.

**X**

Sasuke stood tall and static, void of any burn or scorch marks anywhere on his body. The only hints of him being anywhere near a fire or explosion were the black edged holes that dotted his clothes here and there and the smell of smoke that clung heavily to him.

His long navy blue bangs flapped against his face as a breeze passed over him. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking from just looking at him, he was so cold. His arms were crossed over his chest, his back set in a calm posture as his eyes continued to gaze over the dark green landscape.

The clinking of glass tore his eyes away from the scene before him to the one behind him. "All of your burn marks are healed now so you should be good for now as long as you don't hit any more of those traps again. Even being so far away from one when it went off you got pretty beat up. If you were on top of it you most likely would have died Sasuke sama."

"Hn," was his simple reply as he watched the silver haired boy with glasses clean up his small medical set by packing away his set of vials he head just used to remove the infection in one of Sasuke's burns. The empty glass tubes clinked together as they were lowered into a small medical pack.

Kabuto looked up at him and smiled nervously. "Well then Sasuke sama if that is all I need to be going now. If you need anything else just contact me through the curse mark."

"I will." Sasuke grunted gruffly sending the silent message with his eyes that screamed 'Get… lost…. now.'

Kabuto bowed nervously before turning on his heel and disappearing into the thicket of trees leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts. Kabuto's words seemed to ring in his ears over and over again. 'If you were on top of it you most likely would have died Sasuke sama.' Sakura was on top of that last blast.

Growling to himself he turned around sharply and sped off looking for Naruto and Sakura. He would not dwell on it. The only really bad thing about that was that he and Naruto wouldn't be able to advance to the next part of the exam is she died.

**X**

Sakura's eyes shot open as the choking aura of three nearby chakras filled her weary senses. The pale skinny girl swung her legs under her body and lifted herself into a secure defensive position despite the lingering blurriness that now only edged away at her vision. Her headache was less now too so she was capable of moving faster without getting dizzy.

"I know you're there, show yourselves." She called out into the surrounding forest as her emerald eyes darted from side to side searching for something to give them away.

"My, my the master wasn't joking when he said her senses were top notch." A taunting voice chuckled from somewhere to her left. Sakura tensed but remained still knowing they were throwing their voice around with ventriloquism.

"You were the ones that set that trap." She snapped with venom lacing her every word.

"Smart as well as alert isn't she," a different voice chuckled.

"What is it that you want with me of all people? Come out and show yourselves you cowards!" She growled in anger. Despite the vast improvement she was still exhausted from the healing process she and Okami had gone though some time ago.

"Oh look at that, she's impatience. Well I guess there is no use in keeping her waiting now is there." The first voice called out as three shadows jumped out of the trees around her.

Surrounding her were three identically dressed genin each wearing a knee length gray coat with black pants tucking into their black sandals. The one, she presumed to be their leader, had a evil smirk with coal black eyes and short brown colored hair. The next one was another boy with dark blue eyes and spiky forest green hair. The last one standing behind her was a girl with shoulder length lavender hair and purple eyes. On their shoulders was a crest like design that Sakura recognized with hate. It looked like an elaborate spider web with a few curl like marking coming out of every other string.

"Answer me, what is it that you want with me of all people?" The green eyed demon vessel snapped again at the trio with hidden headbands.

"It's not what we want with you but what our master wants with you." The coal eyed boy replied with a sick twisted smirk that mad her cringe.

"Than what dose he want with me?"

"Tsk, tsk, we won't tell you with that tone of voice. Besides, we don't really want to tell you that just yet. It will ruin al our fun." He replied again.

Sakura growled as her eyes flashed white with anger and rage that was becoming a bit too much for her limited control. Her blood lust was reaching it's boiling point and when it spilled over there would be red everywhere. "Then tell me who your master is."

"You should know better than that dear Sakura, we can't tell you, at least not yet. But I guess we could give you a tiny little hint." The blue eyed boy snickered before pointing up at the star studded sky. An almost full moon was positioned at the end of his finger as the little color left in her face drained. "He knows about your little secret."

"Enough of this you two," the girl snarled speaking up for the first time. "We have our orders now let's execute them!"

Sakura turned sharply as the lavenders haired girl charged at her with a handful of strangely shaped knives aimed at her. Flipping back she dodged her swipes while kicking her in the chin only to be caught in a trap with twin encircling her body.

"What the-?" she cried as the twine tightened around her body. Her senses were extremely dulled and her reflexes were so much slower than what they once were. Her body was still a bit sore as well and would shock her in pain every now and then when she moved in a certain way.

She struggled against the wire as the leader advanced upon her from behind. Sakura could see out of the corner of her eye that the green haired one was holding the wire that trapped her.

"So sad. We were hoping you would be a bit of a challenge but then again few are." Their leader chuckled raising another one of those curved knives above her head.

He never got to bring it down though.

The sound of flesh ripping, echoed in his ears.

"What the- how did you…?" He gasped looking down at his bleeding gut with a kunai lodged deeply within it. Following the weapon he was shocked to see it attached to the end of her bubble gum pink hair.

"Simple really," Sakura comment as her braid pulled her kunai out of his gut and continued to slash away the twine that bound her. "All I had to do was channel chakra through my hair and control it. And that was simple since I have perfect chakra control. As to the knife… It was there before this exam even started."

He cough up a bit of blood as his two teammates rushed to his side. "This isn't over…" he gasped without loosing his cocky grin. "We know what happens in another twenty four hours and we'll be back, you can count on that little Sakura."

Sakura didn't blink as the group disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She was right, they were not genin or at least ordinary genin.

Remembering the crest on their shoulders she shook a little. "H…how did he find me?" Sakura breathed falling back down to her bum, her expression grim.

"…I'll think about this later for now I need to set up some sort of camp for sleep." She thought heading towards a hallowed out log that would suffice for the night. She bent over letting her hair fall over her shoulder exposing her unclothed back where a elaborate spider like crest was tattooed between her shoulder blades.

**X**

Naruto turned around widely grabbing onto someone's collar and slamming them against the nearby tree with an angered growl. "Don't you DARE say that!" He snared in rage.

Sasuke groaned as his back hit the hard bark but kept his pain masked. "All I said was 'I hope she's still alive' dobe. Don't get so worked up over it."

"She is alive teme, and don't you ever doubt it." the blond boy cried as his eyes flashed a deadly crimson for a brief moment before returning to their normal cool cerulean shade.

"You don't know that yet Naruto."

"Yes she is! Stop doubting her, I know she's alive."

"Fine, whatever you say. I'm just thinking if she was, is sorry, why haven't we found her yet?" Sasuke asked keeping a stone calm expression.

"I told you not to doubt it! She is alive, and we just need to find her. She's moving around, that's why we can't find her. Now shut up and help me search." Naruto growled releasing Sasuke from his iron grasp.

Sasuke shook his head and took after Naruto with doubt rooted deeply in his mind remembering Kabuto's words. 'If you were on top of it you most likely would have died.'

Overhead a pale lavender moon hung in the sky a mere days worth before completing it's journey into a full moon unleashing destined to unleash hell.

**X**

_"It hurts." A small voice whimpered in sad tone._

_A sobbing girl with silky shoulder length pink hair sat huddled up in a ball hugging herself as she rocked her small body back and forth._

_"It really huts…please take the pain away."_

_Her body shook as the clouds moved aside to revile a full moon. As it's silvery white beams fell over her body a spider like tattoo on her back glowed and started to move._

_"Please s…stop it….it pains me. I am in pain."_

_The crest started to open up as the continued to over her entire body in a elaborate design of beautify black shapes that seemed to beat in sync with her heart._

_"I…I don't want this. Take it away, take it away."_

_The snake like designs started to slither up her body reaching her neck. It pulsed as it crawled up over her jaw passing her quivering pink lips ad moving towards her eyes._

_"T…Take it…. AWAY!" She screamed in absolute pain as the elegant black designs circled before seeping into her eyes, dying them white, erasing any and every color from her blank orbs. The rest of her tattoos seemed to freeze in place as she thrashed and kicked in pain._

_"It….hurts…"

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Yes, I'm done! I know it's a crappy excuse for a chapter and Naruto didn't get to find Sakura but…ah I don't have an excuse aside from me being lame. Sasuke is evil! I mad him evil! Bwahaha… Just so you know I plan on making this a long fic so thank you for bearing with me. Please review!


	11. reunite

_No, I don't own Naruto or Sakura or Gaara or Sasuke or Tsunade or Kakashi or Rock lee or Kiba or Neji or Ino or Hinta or Shino or Sasori or Kisame or Tenten orTemari or…_

_Please Review!

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**Reunite**

**X**

**X**

**X**

"Ah!" Sakura screamed as her reflexes kicked in sending her upright, shaking her from her disturbed sleep. Her breathing was rapid and harsh, fighting to escaper her parted lips as fast as possible. Her hair was damp with sweet and clung to her face as her mussels rose and fell letting her breath properly.

"Only a dream…" She paned in relief letting her head fall into her dirtied scarred hands.

Lifting her eyes from her palms she let them sweep over her body. Most of her cuts and burns were gone with only a few remaining. She still had a few scars from her father but she didn't expect them to be gone anyway. No. Her scars were memories that would stay with her forever. Not even Okami could heal her scars despite her tremendous demonic power. Snapping out of her thoughts she continued her inspection.

What she was really looking for she was pleased not to find. The damn cursed tattoo that ravaged her body every full moon, sucking her life, chakra, and energy away. Another unpleasant dream of the accused thing that brought her to her knees. She wanted nothing to do with the thing but was sadly bound to the mark that brought her so much grief if she liked it or not. There was no escaping it.

"Ohhh." She moaned falling back onto the soft moss that lined the inside of her hallow log. Her eyes squeezed shut fighting back to pounding headache.

'_How late is it, I need to find Naruto and Sasuke and make it to the end of this exam before our five days are up.'_ She groaned rolling over onto her stomach and crawling out into the blazing noonday sun in all it's blazing red glory. She didn't like the sun. She was more of a moon girl herself.

"Kuso, It's past noon." She cursed pulling her frail looking body upward. "I need to find those two before I run out of time."

Her legs groaned underneath her as she pushed them forward propelling her slender body into the mass of trees ad leaves that lay ahead of her. Her eyes half lidded with a tiredness that refused to let her go.

Stopping after a few minuets of traveling Sakura placed her palm on he bark of a tree and closed her eyes channeling some of her chakra in to the ancient plant. She could almost taste the remnants of Naruto's chakra on the trees north of her current position. It was still fresh too, meaning he at least was still in that area.

"Hm, that's good." She murmured under her breath, drawing herself away from the tree and taking off in the direction of the fiery red chakra that was now Naruto's.

**X**

**X**

**X**

Naruto let his sharpened claws dig deep into the flesh of an unlucky opponent. The fierce boy growled as his cerulean blue eyes flashed crimson momentarily as more of the dark crimson liquid stained the ground in angered state. His golden blond hair was wild and untamed and his whisker marks were darker and more defined than normal.

"What is it with you guys?!" He growled darkly as the last nin fell dead at his hands. "I mean it as if I'm a human magnet for these losers."

His nails became less defined and his whisker marks became thinner and thinner. His dark choking Chakra faded from it's current fiery red to it's normal vibrant orange.

"Dobe, your chakra levels are going through the roof, who wouldn't want to fight you?" Sasuke sneered leaning calmly against a tree.

"And what are you doing about it teme?" Naruto sneered back.

"Nothing."

"Exactly, you're doing nothing. The least you could do is help look for Sakura chan."

The youngest Uchiha survivor knew better that to voice his option and tell the blond that Sakura was mostly dead. The last time he did that he was at the end of the demon's claws "Whatever."

"Yeah I thought so. You know what teme you-" Naruto's speech was instantly silenced with a hand clamped over his mouth. Sasuke's hand no less. He narrowed his eyes and growled but the dark haired boy shook him to shut him up. Before Naruto could do anything else Sasuke whipped out a few kunai and threw them into the trees.

Metal met metal, ringing shrilly throughout the forest as his thrown weapons clattered limply to the ground. Seeing this Sasuke growled softly in dissatisfaction at what he saw. "Damn." He murdered.

Before either Naruto or Sasuke had time to react an object wrapped around both of their necks drawing them closer to each other.

"Now I know you two might not be all that found of me, but going as far as to try and kill me in broad day light is a bit much isn't it?" Sakura snickered leaning on their shoulders with a wolfish grin still hidden behind her mask.

"Sakura chan!" Naruto cried spinning around and jumping his friend with a big bear hug. "We're so happy we found you!"

Sakura chuckled despite the lack of air Naruto was allowing her and pulled out of his embrace. "Yeah about that, I'm sorry I couldn't catch up with you sooner but I ran in to a few bastards that thought they could take me on just 'cause I was alone."

Her expression instantly changed when she saw the way both boys were looking her up and down in a most ungentlemanly like way. Remembering her lack of clothing thanks to the explosion she instantly squeaked and smacked both boys across the face. "Perverts, can't you ever focus on the important thing here?"

"Itai, Sakura chan." Naruto whined rubbing his sore cheek . "What was that for?"

"Baka. You know very well what that was for you pervert." She hissed in reply.

"But…but, it wasn't our fault it was just 'cause….It was because you were uh…" Naruto stuttered trying to come up with an explanation, turning to Sasuke for help.

"Don't drag me in to this dobe." Sasuke mumbled turning away while nursing his sore cheek.

Sakura simply shook her head sadly looking away. _"Men…if they aren't perverts they're gay. I shouldn't be complaining about the way nature chose to distort them."_

"Umm Sakura chan, what happened to you anyway? I mean the last time we saw you was right before the bomb went off and you were right on top of it. Shouldn't you be a bit more…um I don't know…" Naruto stuttered not wanting to say the wrong thing and get hit again.

"Dead."

"Eh?" Sakura asking in confusion at Sasuke's remark.

"Shouldn't you be dead. I mean look at you, you hardly have scratch on you after coming out a huge explosion like that I would think you would be a little more banged up or something.

"Oh yeah about that, I don't think I told you but I'm a medic. I simply healed myself after the bomb went off and then rested up a bit from the overuse of chakra."

"That would have been nice to know a while ago." Sasuke murmured under his breath.

"Yeah sorry for not telling you guys that, but you both look okay right?" Sakura smiled seeing both Sasuke and Naruto nod a yes to her question. "Anyway now that we are all together don't you think we should get going. You already have more than enough scrolls to pass from the looks of it…"

Naruto laughed sheepishly holding another three heaven scrolls in his hand while Sasuke held two earth scrolls. "Yeah whatever let's just get going." Sasuke mumbled speeding off into the thicket of trees and branches.

Sakura laughed lightly and pushed herself off with a slight burst of chakra following Sasuke leaving one sunny haired boy with shimmering blue eyes to catch up with the two.

"We need to reach the tower before tonight, do you think we can do it?" Sakura asked keeping a steady pace with her teammates.

"Tonight? Why dose it have to be tonight Sakura chan? We still have plenty of time till our deadline runs out." Naruto whined beside her.

Sakura looked away letting her emerald green eyes harden as an image of her tattoo covered body under a pale lavender moon flashed through her mind briefly. "We just have to okay…So do you think we will make it?"

Sasuke remained silent for a time before jumping up to a higher branch. Sakura quietly waited for him to finish scouting before she asked questions. A few stray leaves fall around her face as Sasuke jumped down avoiding a few branches that would most defiantly give way under his weight.

"So how far off is it? Is it at all possible for us to reach it before night fall?" Sakura asked as her dark eyed teammate landed beside her with silent grace possessed only after a great deal of training.

"Nope, it's too far off, tomorrow night perhaps but not tonight." Sasuke bluntly replied with a hollow even voice that made Sakura flinch.

"Tomorrow? There's no possible way we could reach it tonight?"

"No…You may be all high and up there but Naruto and I are a bit worn out and need some rest and food, that will take time. Plus we had to double back to search for you, killing almost an entire day's worth of traveling. So the answer is no." Sasuke replied coldly turning away and heading off towards the tower.

"Hey Hey Sakura chan…what's so important that we need to reach to tower tonight?" Naruto asked in a low whisper so that Sasuke couldn't hear them.

Sakura looked away coldly speeding off treading deeper into the forest. "You'll find out soon enough Naruto." She replied her voice growing dark to mimic her eyes.

**X**

**X  
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**X**

The golden ball of light suspended among the heavens continued it's decent down the atmosphere. With each phase the worry and anxiousness on one Kunoichi grew and grew.

Sakura landed gracefully behind Sasuke and Naruto with the silence of a shadow, a bead of sweet falling off her chin and landing at between her bent legs. That drop was soon followed by another.

"It's almost nightfall we should make camp here, I'll be back with some food." Sasuke ordered disappearing once again, most likely heading towards the stream to their left.

Naruto started to get to work on the sleeping arrangements while Sakura prepared a fire that was blazing in a matter of seconds. She had to keep herself warms somehow all those winters in the mountains.

Quitting her work she let her head fall back sending her eyes upward to see the last fleeting rays of the sun. 'Soon the soon will be out, soon the moon will be out, soon the soon will be out, soon the moon will be out.' She though as the last ray of sunshine fell behind the earth's surface taking with it her last hope of keeping her secret a secret.

"N…Naruto…" She moaned falling to her shaking knees as the weariness started to take her over. Clenching her eyes tightly shut she bit down o her lower lip ad gabber her opposite shoulder in her hands in a tight self hug.

"Hm, Sakura chan did you call…Sakura cha!" She heard him yell from over her shoulder. He must have seen the tattoo crawling over her shoulder blades like some type of living/moving leach.

Blood jumped from her lips as she gagged at the burning sensation birthing on her back as it spread to oter parts of her body. "Na…Naru…to…."

"Sakura chan…your body! What's happening to your body!" Naruto asked in shock as the tattoo continued to crawl and slither it's way over her shivering pale body

"Something that doesn't concern you boy." A hard voice called out from behind the pair.

Naruto tuned on his heel and growled at what he saw Surrounding them were three identically dressed genin each wearing a knee length gray coat with black pants tucking into their black sandals.

The first one, most likely the leader of the group, had stone cold emotionless face with coal black eyes and short brown colored hair.

'He must have been to one that spoke up just now.' Naruto thought looking over at the other two

The other one was a boy with dark blue eyes and spiky forest green hair. He had a cocky smirk as he eyed Naruto up and down, labeling him as a shrimp most likely. This made the said boy growl in anger.

The last one standing behind her was a girl with shoulder length lavender hair and purple eyes. On their shoulders was a crest like design that looked like an elaborate spider web with a few curl like marking coming out of every other string. Naruto had to do a double take, it looked just like the mark on Sakura's back.

"What do you want with us?" Naruto snarled taking a protective steep in front of Sakura. The said girl was still hunched over in pain.

"Hand the girl over and we'll be on our way." The one in the middle spoke again.

"Not a chance." Naruto snapped back falling into a fighting stance.

"Didn't think so." The only girl of the group sighed smiling a bit. "But that's okay, It will be so much more fun prying her body from your cold lifeless grasp."

Before Naruto knew it senbon needles were thrown at him from every direction causing hi to dodge the aerial strike. Flipping in mid air he created a few clones of himself and in the blink of an eye slipped into the trees letting his clones fill in for him.

"I'll ask you again, what do you want with Sakura?" one of Naruto's clones shouted before being pierced through the heart by a elegantly designed knife.

"I would think it obvious. Did you not see the mark on her back?" The girl asked pulled her knife back before driving in into the head of another clone.

"Damn it tell me!"

Naruto was silenced as the boy with the cocky smile tackled him to the ground. "You might want to shut up now. One of these days that mouth is going to get you killed. And you know what…" He picked up his knife ready to drop it into his chest. "I think today is that day…"

The knife dropped ripping deep into his flesh before…his replacement puffed into a log.

"What the where did he go?" He growled standing up and looking around.

The leader of the group stepped forward and calmly sighed. "Now now, we don't have to always solve this the messy way you know." He whispered before turning away. "Naruto…that' you name isn't it? You want to know what we want with your friend don't you? We'll I'll tell you and maybe when I'm done you'll simply hand her over to us."

Naruto growled and almost fled from his spot hidden in the trees. He would pop out and protect Sakura chan if they got to close, but until then he remained hidden.

"We need to kill her. She has a disease of a sorts, a curse. That mark on her back proves that much. If she is not killed she is left free to kill and rampage wildly with no restraints. In the beginning we and our master tried to restrain her, but soon she broke free and escaped to kill. If you don't believe me look at the facts. How long have you known her? How much do you know about her past? What do you really know about her? Do you even know where she came from?"

The girl from the group saw the nod from the other boy and approached Sakura grabbing her by the hair. She moaned out in protest and pulled out a discarded kunai.

"That won't work on me." the girl sneered happily seeing that the boy with blond hair wasn't coming to her rescue.

"Who…said it was for you…" Sakura coughed despite the pain pumping through her body from the tattoo that now covered her completely and entirely.

With on smooth movement, (a bit too slow for her liking) she brought her weapon clear through her long pink locks. Once free she scrambled away as best she could. Sadly the best she could was five feet before falling over and tumbling to her side as her legs betrayed her.

'No, not here, not now, not here not now, I can't loose to them here today.' She thought as a few stray tears fell from her eyes wetting the earth underneath her head.

"Give it up Sakura, you can't even go five feet before the tattoo drains you." The girl snickered kicking her in the side, hard. "Give up and give in."

Sakura cracked open a single eye lazily despite the weight that made her want to close it. The weight was soon forgotten as her eyes widened at what she saw. Their leader had Naruto by the throat ready to kill.

"Naruto no!" She screamed as she was lifted by the neck by the girl.

"See you're friendship with boy got him killed, what a wonderful friend you are. You should have just stayed up in your mountain and never come down." The girl chuckled raising her other hand to Sakura's neck. The pink haired girl could see her nails tipped with some sort of silver claw like weapon just waiting to drown it's self in the blood of her throat.

_'Kill, kill, kill, giv in to it, kill, kill, KILL!'_ A voice inside Sakura's mind screamed, a voice that did **not** belong to Okami. _'Kill, kill them all!'_

_'I don't want to ill, I don't want to kill anyone._' She replied to the voice. But her words were cut short when she saw the pull back plunge their weapons into Naruto.

_'Kill them…'_

"This is the end for both you and your friend Sakura." The girl cackled pulling back as well.

_'Kill them…"_

_"I don't want to kill anyone!'_

"Sakura chan get away from them!"

_'KILL THEM!'_

_Blood was everywhere in a great abundance as the least expected think took place.

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Oh my gosh I am so sorry for the loooooooong update. But I and still it the writer's block with this one. I just barely managed to write this. The only reason I'm am still writing this is because so many people like it so much. It it wasn't for you and your reviews I most likely would have deleted this story. So, if you reviewed any part of this story pat yourself on the back, you just saved a Naruto fic from being deleted. Yes ,you all matter that much to me.

As for the pairing I'm just gonna come out and tell you it will most likely not be a Sakura Naruto fic, I just like Gaara too much. I know MangaFanatic will be happy to hear that. Shurikengrl, I was so happy when I saw so many reviews at once so I'm thanking you here. (deep bow)

Ja ne!


	12. tattoos

I'm sooooooooooo ver ver ver sorry this came out so late. But better late than never right? I was going to update this yesterday but things came up and by the time I got back it was too late to do anyting.

I do not, will not, could not, ever own Naruto...happy?

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**Tattoos**

Tiny grains of sand held in place suspended in the air by an unseen force floating gently in front of a pair of unblinking jade orbs that glowed with a certain silent rage.

"Gaara…?" Sakura weakly coughed struggling to keep her half lidded eyes from completely closing. A difficult task indeed considering her current condition. The beginning always was the hardest part.

The said red haired sandman looked back at the trembling tattooed Sakura and blinked calmly as if the amount of crimson blood now staining the earth around them was completely natural.

The girl that was about to kill Sakura lay in seven different pieces, her head rolling away to cover the horror stricken expression that would never be removed from the detached body piece.

Gaara turned towards Naruto who was standing up while brushing off the pieces of disembodied parts that just happened to fall onto him when the were killed by the sand. "Naruto…what happened here?" He asked coolly eyeing the last dead male who was also in pieces.

"That's what I would like to know." Naruto replied towards the shaking tattooed Sakura. "Sakura chan what's… happening to you?"

Sakura groaned and fell forward onto the damp earth, too tired to reply or even utter a singe word in response to her worried cerulean eyed teammate.

"Sakura chan!" Naruto cried rushing to her side. And gently dragging her up onto his lap. "Sakura chan can you hear me?"

"She's out cold." Gaara calmly stated kneeling down to her side with a worried expression. If the circumstances were better he would have had a hard time fighting back his blush due to her clothing but her current state only brought him worry.

"What did they do to her, this must be some sort of jutsu they used to weaken her before they attacked." Naruto growled the last part out letting her eyes flash crimson for a brief moment before fading back to their normal brilliant sapphire blue.

Gaara ran a single finger along the shivering black design that crawled across her pale skin and gently stroked her cheek before speaking. "No, it's not a jutsu…"

"What? Than what is it?" Naruto asked thankfully not noticing Gaara's little act a few seconds earlier.

"Can't you see it? This is not a paralyzing jutsu it's a curse." The jade eyes sandman replied darkly letting his scarlet red locks fall over his eyes shadowing them from view.

"A curse?" Naruto cried out in surprise. Sakura chan cursed? That just didn't sound right, there had to be some sort of mistake he through before he suddenly remembered her words from earlier that day.

-

_"Hey Hey Sakura chan…what's so important that we need to reach to tower tonight?" Naruto asked in a low whisper so that Sasuke couldn't hear them._

_Sakura looked away coldly speeding off treading deeper into the forest. "You'll find out soon enough Naruto." She replied her voice growing dark to mimic her eyes._

-

"These designs on her body are sucking up her Chakra. It doesn't look like they'll stop anytime soon either. When did they first appear Naruto?" Gaara asked looking up at the blond.

"Um around sun set…actually right after sunset, when the moon came up." Both boys looked up at the bright lavender full moon that spilled it's silver light upon the three.

"It's a full moon, that must be what triggered the tattoos to come out. These black designs are acting like a parasite draining not only her chakra but her physical energy. That must be why she collapsed." Gaara murmured frowning slightly at the full silver blue orb suspended high in the night sky.

_'Strange how a full moon seemed to bring out the worst in the middle of the night.'_ He though remembering all the ties his demon slipped out with the power of the full moon. The moon always seemed to give the one tailed an extra boost of strength. He knew it had a bit of an effect on Naruto as well since his friend share his nightmares with the red haired sandman often.

"You mean like the one Sasuke teme got from that snake bastard the last time we took this exam? He's still suffering a bit from it."

"Hn, yeah kind of like that. Where is your teammate anyway? Shouldn't he be here with you?"

"Oh Sasuke went to find some water and food over by that stream to our left. He shouldn't be too long.

Gaara's eyes narrowed darkly and he turned towards Naruto. "There isn't a stream around here for almost a mile."

X

X

X

Sasuke growled to himself heading back to camp. He was thinking up an excuse to cover his lack of food since he didn't really head over to the steam that was merely nothing more than a simple Genjutsu he and Kabuto used as a signal.

_"Damn that stupid bastard and his meaningless questions. He can't do anything useful."_ He growled softly while kicking harshly against a tree branch nearly snapping it in half. '

Anyone could tell he was not happy.

With another jump from one of the tree branches the said object broke off harshly in an array of splinters crashing down to the ground.

Nope, not happy at all.

"Now what am I suppose to tell the dope and Sakura when they sees I have no food?" He asked silently within the dark recesses of his ever twisted revenge bent mind.

Pushing away a low branch he stepped into the clearing where he had last left his two teammates and froze. It looked like a war zone complete with three mauled bodies. (or at leasr three, he didn't see any other heads) Blood was everywhere in dark black and red puddles that stained the earth beyond recognition. If that wasn't enough to shock him the sight of Naruto and Gaara leaning over a passed out Sakura who was covered in some strange tattoos was.

"What the hell is going on here?" The dark eyed Uchiha hissed more than a bit angered to see the red haired sandman anywhere near he or his teammates, Sakura more so than Naruto.

"Sasuke teme! Where have you been? Gaara said there wasn't any stream around here." Naruto asked standing up to great his teammate.

"That doesn't matter right now. Tell me what happened here?" Sasuke asked kicking one of the unattached heads with the toe of his shoe. "It looks like hell."

"No kidding we were attacked duh."

"I could tell that much dobe! What happened to Sakura and why is _he_ here?" Sasuke snarled pointing towards Gaara with a glare. Gaara returned the glare with equal venom.

"Gaara came to help us and Sakura is sick with some kind of curse." Naruto replied.

"Curse?"

"Yes Sasuke san a curse somewhat like yours. Only Sakura's curse mark is a tattoo that seems to be draining her chakra and physical energy." Gaara replied without standing up. He preferred to stay by Sakura while she slept.

"When will she wake up?" Sasuke asked noticing how Gaara chose to stay next to Sakura instead of standing like Naruto had.

"I don't know."

The two exchanged glares.

"Hey, hey I think we should get her out of here than." Naruto exclaimed waving his hands above his head trying to break the tension between the two. Even someone as oblivious as him knew it was there.

"Hn. The dobeis right, he and I will take Sakura somewhere suitable for the night. You can go rejoin your team." Sasuke stated crossing his arms over his chest while addressing Gaara.

"That is not necessary. My team has already reached the tower and registered. I have nothing else to do until the next part starts." Gaara replied with a smirk knowing he had outwitted the Uchiha.

"Isn't that going againts the rules Gaara? "Naruto asked.

"Since when have I ever followed the rules Naruto?"

Sasuke was about to say something more when Naruto stepped in and held him back. "Hey it's okay Sasuke. It'll be better if we have someone with us to watch Sakura chan. You have to remembered both you and I are tired as well and it would be better if we had someone watching us in case we slipped up due to exhaustion.

"Who are you and what have you done with Naruto?" Sasuke hissed turning towards Naruto. no way the dobe he knew could sound so smart.

"Sasuke put your pride aside and do this for both me and Sakura chan. I trust Gaara, he's a good friend of mine."

Sasuke looked over at Gaara and then down at Sakura who was breathing heavily while the Tattoos on her body snaked around her body. His hand unconsciously reached up and rubbed the sealed curse mark on the back of his neck as he remembered how much it first hurt.

"Fine." He grunted in defeat.

"Okay. First thing first, we need to get Sakura chan out of here and then get some food."

X

_'Oh, my eyes feel like they're on fire. My body feels so heavy and I can't feel any of my chakra. My curse must be activated. That must be why I feel this way. I wonder what Naruto and the others think about this? The other…oh that's right Gaara! I saw Gaara right before I passed out and Sasuke must be back by now from whatever he was doing. I think I can hear their voices. Maybe I can wake up now….'_

Sakura's long lashes began to struggle upward in an attempt to open her eyes. Her hazy emerald eyes opened half way and took in the scene around her.

"A fire?" She mumbled softly seeing the bright red and orange flames dance away the darkness.

"Ah Sakura chan your awake!" Naruto cried happily materializing by her side with some sort of biscuit in his mouth.

"Naruto…Where am I? I can't remembered what happened all that well."

"Ah Gaara came in and saved up by ripping those guys apart. Then Sasuke teme came and we all decided to drag you here for the night and then Gaara gave us some of his food and then Sasuke got up and said he would get his own and he did and now we have food from both Gaara and Sasuke and then Sasuke left and then Gaara said he needed to-"

"Okay Naruto I get the picture. For some reason I think if I didn't stop you I would be here all nigh listening to you." Sakura chuckled interrupting the blond.

"Hehe, sorry Sakura chan. But you mind telling me something?"

"What that Naruto?"

"That tattoo…Gaara said it was a curse. How did you get it?

Sakura's face fell a bit and her eye turned downward almost as if shame. Her fingers reached up and stroked the marks that covered her arms "You mean the Hiru no juin? I have had it ever since I can remember."

_'Something to bring the scale into balance.'_

"Hiru no juin? Doesn't that mean leech?" Naruto asked.

Sakura nodded fighting for a stile still concealed behind her mask. "Yes Hiru means leech. That's what this curse dose to me, it sucks away my charka and energy till I have nothing left one night out of every month."

"Yeah Gaara said something about it sucking away your chakra. But don't you die if all your chakra is taken?"

Sakura laughed a bit, the effort exhausting. "Yes that's true."

Naruto's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. "Sakura chan you're going to die!" He exclaimed grabbing her into a bone crushing hug.

Sakura laughed again while excusing herself from the embrace. Yes that's true BUT… This tattoo is still a part of me so all it's doing is taking my chakra to another part of my body. It hurts like hell but I get it all back after a full day."

"Do you know how you got it?"

Sakura nodded but did not reply.

"Do you want to tell me?" Naruto asked hoping she would say yes.

Sakura shook her head from side to side without replying once again.

Naruto sighed in defeat.

"I don't want to tell you but as your teammate I need you to trust me and that can be a pretty hard thing to do if you don't know anything about me. So I'll tell you even though I don't want to, okay.

"You don't have to Sakura chan I can understand if-"

"No, it's better if I do thi Naruto. I don't mind it so much as long as it is you. When I was born…my mother died killing that last remaining bits of sanity my father still possessed. My mother…my….mother died giving birth to me and so my father grew to resent me. As if I were the reason she died. The other issue he had against me was that I wasn't a boy. He wished to have a son he could train to become a ninja everyone would respect. He did not believe I as a female could do that. I tried to prove him wrong by perusing a path as a Kunoichi anyway."

"Sakura chan you don't have to-"

"There were some…defects from my birth and one day my father placed this curse upon me to awaken one of the birth defects. He told me it was _'something to bring the scale into balance'_ not that I knew what he meant. Most likely one of his loopy moments. One day after I got older some of the villagers saw these tattoos and chased me out of the village. I ran and hid for the rest of y life. I don't know what became of my father and I don't really care. I have no wish to find him again, to kill him or to live with him as his daughter once again."

"But don't you hate your dad?"

"No, he hated me that is true but…" Sakura looked away as her memory reminded her of that day she dreamed about the man that embraced her with such loving arms. She couldn't see his face but she knew it was her father. "But... there is still some goodness in him. There is goodness in everyone if you look hard enough."

"You still care for him, even after everything he did to you?" Naruto asked a bit in disbelief.

"Yeah, isn't that what love is? Caring for someone so much it doesn't matter what they do?" Sakura asked.

"I have to admit I don't really know. I've never cared about anyone like that. But I tink I can, thank you Sakura chan for being such a good example!"

Outside the line of light from the campsite on opposite sides two pairs of eyes watched the two and two pairs of ears listened in on the conversation.

_I have no wish to find him again, to kill him or to live with him as his daughter once again."_

_"But don't you hate your dad?"_

_"No, I hated me that true but… But there is still some goodness in him. There is goodness in everyone if you look hard enough."_

"No desire to kill even after all he did to her?"

_"When I was born…my mother died killing that last remaining bits of sanity my father still possessed. My mother…my….mother died giving birth to me and so my father grew to resent me. As if I were the reason she died._

"Your mother died and your father hated you for it…just like mine in a way."

-

* * *

There I'm done. Done. I like the little part at the end with Gaara and Sasuke spying in on the two. I' so happy I dragged Gaara back into this. evil smile There is no hope for him now.Also I want to ask you all who review, should Sasuke like Sakura or should he just think of her as a teammate? Please tell me in a review. 

This is the last chapter with them in the forest of death. Wow… I though I'd never get them out of there. But since that is over I can move onto these ideas that have been bugging me about this story. Her history is reviled minus the Okami part of course.

I was going to post this yesterday but I had babysitting and by the time I got back it was too late. Sorry for that. I really am sorry! Gomen, Gomen-nasai!

Please review! I'm begging you…well not begging I have at least a little pride to maintain you know. But yes I would love your reviews. I have not received a single review that I did not like. Flames are welcome!

* * *


	13. Mold

There I'm done. Done, done, done. Sorry for that. I really am sorry! Gomen, Gomen-nasai! I'm happy that I have finally gotten to update this. The end is coming up soon hopefully, but since I'm making this up as I go there will most likely be a lot more for me to write. So even though I want to finish this up as soon as possible It will most likely be a while. (Like a long while.) Gomen, Gomen-nasai!

Please review! I'm begging you…well not begging I have at least a little pride to maintain you know. But yes I would love your reviews. I have not received a single review that I did not like. Flames are welcome as always to toast my Marshmallows and melt my Swiss chocolate! Mmm don't you wish you had some Swiss chocolate.

I do not own any part of the Naruto world. Nuthing nu uh nope not a thing.

* * *

**MOLD**

The second part of the Chunin exams were over and the month spent on one on one training with each contestant's sensei was almost over. Naruto want on with Jiraiya and Sasuke went on with Kakashi to train separately for the remainder of the month.

Tsunade asked Sakura if she would like a sensei assigned to her but Sakura politely declined telling the first female Hokage that she survived this long without a sensei and she could survive another month or so without one.

Sakura sighed and readjusted her headband around her neck before exiting the small apartment to get a breath of much needed fresh air.

Aside from her team and the team Gaara was on there was one more from leaf and another from Mist. There was almost a palmary round for the second time in a row but Tsunade said that it was not necessary since one of the Mist ninja and that girl named Hinata dropped out at the end.

In the middle of a street Sakura stopped and looked over at herself in the reflection of a shop's window. Hesitantly she reached up to tap the wrapping around her face. At least the went well with her white long sleeved shirt and baggy black pants hat tucked into her black sandals with a slight heel. Her shirt closely resembled the top of a yukata. All a gift from the Hokage to replace her shredded black outfit she was forced to toss.

She remembered Tsunade personally smacking Naruto and Sasuke up the head for not offering her some spare clothing before taking Sakura away to change. All the while muttered about perverted boys and tacking advantage of a bad situation.

"Tsunade sama is a very kind woman is she not Okami?" Sakura thought awaking Okami from her thin slumber.

_"…She is, a truly kind woman. She must see you a growing girl and not as a ninja like most do."_

"Yes…I wonder if this is what it feels like to have a mother?"

_"I would not know. My mother died when I was only an infant when I was still human." Okami replied standing up and looking away inside of Sakura's mind._

"Okami…what was it like when you were human? I mean how was it different from when you are-I mean you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

_"You want to know?"_

"Hai, but only if you would like to tell me." Sakura replied walking under a tree and resting in it's shade.

_"I was born to a Nobel family that dwelt in the mountains. My mother died two and a half years after I was born due to a failed assignation meant for my father. My father had the sevenths raise me up to become the perfect lady. And I was…until I turned sixteen."_

"Sixteen? Isn't that when you are allowed to marry?"

_"Yes, sixteen is when a lady such as myself would most likely get married. My father promised me to a neighboring lord and we were due to be married within a matter of weeks."_

"Let me guess, you were in love with someone else weren't you?" Sakura asked softly with a small smile.

Okami smiled back and nodded slowly. _"Yes I was in love with someone else. He was a monk serving in my lands for a shot time. We did not know each other long but that mattered little. We were in love and we both knew it. He did not want me to be married and neither did I so we devised a plan to stay together eternally. My favorite maid and my childhood friend agreed to help me a so in the dead of night the four of us stole out into the darkness."_

"What happened to you and your lover?" Sakura asked in confusion knowing something had to go wrong since the two of them were not together at the moment.

Okami did not reply and from the look of it she seemed like she never would.

Sakura nodded understanding that her friend wanted to keep this matter to herself. "May we please speak of another matter. Like my training. You said you would help me with my newest jutsu., it dose still need a bit of perfecting."

_"Pf, a bit? That thing needs a miracle."_ The motherly wolf demon replied rolling her eyes and returning to her normal playful self.

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck letting her gloved had slip under the cover of her shirt and pass over the tattoo on her back. "I need to perfect it before my next fight. When we were in the forest of death and I was attacked I heard it calling out to me again. I haven't been this close to humans for so long so it's never been this bad."

_"I know what you mean. Hiru is getting more and more restless with each passing day. I didn't think it would be this dangerous to come in contact with humans. Maybe it would be better if we went back to the mountains Sakura chan."_

"No, I promised Hokage sama that I would remain loyal to the hidden leaf village when I excepted this headband. Leaving would be the same as betraying the village. No, I want to stay. Besides running away is a cowardly thing. I would rather stand my ground and fight his thing. I refuse to let it take over me."

_"…Then you had better continue with your training. Your opponent for the third past of the exam is no pushover. He is the son of none other that the Mizukage. He plans on becoming the ruler of his village once he passes his jonin exams. On top of that he is over a year older than you."_

"Thanks for the encouragement." Sakura muttered hiding herself in a secluded training spot far from the shop and surrounded on all sides by trees. Undoing he shirts ties she slipped it over her head and faced the forest around her in her black tube top.

"Keppan ankoushoku no jutsu!" (_Dark red Seal of Blood )_ Sakura cried extending both pals out before bringing the two together in a complex hand seal only she knew.

The tattoo on her back glowed a dark red before beginning to writher and crawl out, bending to Sakura's will power. Most of it crawled down her back with the rest running down her arms and snaking around her neck. The dark red color began to grow a bit brighter as her tattos began to separate and form Chinese characters on her body. Seven to be exact.

"Jing: the well. Gui: the Demon, Ghost. Liu: the Willow. Xing: The star. Zhang: Growth. Yi: The wings. And Zhen: Strong emotion." She seethed through clenched teeth forcing her tattoos to form the desired symbols.

The well symbol was on her lower left shoulder symbolizing her well of chakra the tattoo would provide. The Demon symbol on her lower back off towards the left stood for Okami, who her tattoo would restring if she ran berserk. The willow mark on her left forearm stood for the flexibility she would gain from the tattoo. The Star character was on her lower back off to the right stood for how the tattoo would transform her. Like a star on fire, if she ever needed it. The Zhan sign on her stood for how much the tattoo would increase her power and how much she would grow. The wings character positioned between her should blades stood for the pair of fiery like wings she would grow from the tattoo. And last but not least the character for Strong emotion stood for how her tattoos would only yield to her immense will power fueled by emotion.

Sakura cried out in pain when the tattoos on her back rejected her commands and overpowered her will, stinging her and crawling back to their spot on the middle of her back. Falling to her knees she gasped as drops of sweet fell from her face.

"I…can't….do it." She gasped reaching for her shirt. "Damn… that bird of his."

"_You're giving up after on try?"_ Okami asked shocked that Sakura was quitting so early.

"It's no use. My father designed it so that it would go against your abilities so much that it's impossible to control it. I can't do it." Sakura replied voicing the last part out loud.

"Can't do what?" Someone asked from behind her.

Sakura jumped to her feet and fell into a defensive position only to relax when she saw who it was. "Oh Gaara, it is only you. What brings you all the way out here?"

Gaara eyed the shirt in her hands and looked away before replying. A small hint of pink staining his cheeks. Sakura squeaked and pulled the garment over head as quickly as possible.

"...I sensed an strange chakra pattern coming from this area and came to cheek it out. I had no idea it was you training by yourself." The red haired sand lover replied fixing his gaze on her once again. "What were you doing. Out here anyway."

Sakura shrugged and looked away. "Training what else?"

"…If that is what you say." Gaara replied after a moment of silence before turning away.

"Hey wait, are you leaving?" Sakura called out running up to him.

"Yes why do you ask?" He replied giving her a sideway glance.

"Well I was wondering if you weren't busy training you could join me or some lunch or something." Sakura stated crossing her arms behind her back.

Gaara almost smiled at her offer before replying. "Sakura did you know it's almost three thirty? It's too late for lunch."

Sakura froze and laughed a bit to herself for acting so stupid. "Oh I didn't know that, sorry. Well would you like to join me for some Dango and a walk?"

"Hm what's the catch?" Gaara replied with a teasing tone behind his voice.

"You have to talk to me. A walk and a talk." Sakura replied with a sly smile knowing he would not refuse.

Gaara tapped his chin before looking down at Sakura who was just a head shorter that him. "Well I'm not training so I guess I have a few hours to kill."

"Great. Let's go, my treat." Sakura cried tugging Gaara by the sleeve towards the shops and street vendors.

* * *

Behind the bushes a few yards away from the couple, two sand ninja peaked through the parted leaves watching their brother with fascination. 

"Did you see that? Gaara never acts that way with anyone…not even us?" Temari hissed shaking her brother by to collar as she watched her youngest brother be dragged away by none other than a girl. "Amazing, I knew Gaara lightened up a bit after meeting Naruto but…he's like almost…normal!"

"And is there a problem with that?" Kankuro asked rubbing his sore neck.

"YES! Normal males his age have hormones. Do you know what that means?"

"…No and I fail to see why you are dragging me around when the third exam is only days away. Can't I do something else aside from stalking my brother like some obsessed fan girl?"

His older sibling shot Kankuro a death glare and grabbed him by the collar once again. "No, we are going to stalk Gaara all day, both you and I."

"Dear God help me… please." The puppet boy squeaked as his sister pulled him out of the bushes once again.

* * *

I know it's shot but I ran out of ideas.

R&R


	14. trap

AN: There I'm finally finished with this chapter. I like how Dancing on Glass is coming along and how I manage to scrape up enough muse from my midnight well to get each chapter out there. I am an Author but also a reader so I know how…frustrating it can be when a fic I like is not updated. So sorry for my sluggishness with Dancing on Glass. Feel free to scream and tell me to get my rear into gear.

And now I hope you know that I need reviews if I am to continue this so as always (here it comes) Please review! I'm begging you…yes begging Flames are welcome as always to toast my Marshmallows and melt my chocolate. I want to break 200 reviews this chapter! More info on my profile page.

I do not own any part of the Naruto world. No not a thing. Please cheek out my profile if you want any other info on this or any of my other stories. I usually put a longer summer or note on how the updating is coming along.

* * *

**Trap**

**-**

**-**

**-**

Sakura turned around once again trying to be fast enough to catch the two shaky chakras behind her but once again saw nothing. Her emerald green eyes narrowed in frustration as what she though were chakra signatures faded into the wind. Maybe it was nothing but then again you could never be to sure.

"What is it?" Gaara asked noticing her perplexed expression.

"I could have sworn…ah nothing." She replied.

Gaara looked over her shoulder and glared at the side of a building where he knew his siblings were hiding…yet again. He would have to catch Temari, sit her down and have a talk with her about this stalking businesses since he knew Kankoro would never do it willingly.

His glare was interrupted with a smirk at the mental image of his brother being dragged around the hidden leaf village for the past few days against his will. The poor boy must be miserable.

Sakura shrugged to herself and turned her attention back to the arena where Naruto was coming out of his battle as the victor. Kiba fell back and inhaled deeply completely exhausted from his battle with the blond.

"Guess I'll just have to kick you but next time. Then I won't hold back."

"Hold back what are you talking about? You brought it all and I still wiped the floor with you!"

"Ha! That's what you though but we were just holding back because we were scared we would hurt a weakling like you!" The brown haired dog loer hollered back climbing to his shaking feet.

_'At lest he still has his pride…'_ Sakura thought in mild amusement watching Naruto and Kiba trade insults as the two made their way off the field. From what she could pick up from whispered murmurs Naruto had beaten the dog loving boy last year in the matches held before the third part of the exam last year.

Running a hand through her wild rosette colored locks she tried to pull the strand into submission but failed in controlling them in any way what so ever. She smirked beneath her mask. She didn't care, in fact she like how wild and disobedient her hair was. It showed how much she was growing from the timid hermit girl that lived in the mountains.

"My match is coming up soon isn't it?" She asked to no one in particular but knowing Gaara would answer.

"Hn…maybe that mask of yours will come off in the scuffle." Gaara joked eyeing the white bandages around her face that hid her face and more importantly her lips from his viewing pleasure.

"Not a chance."

"One can hope can he not?"

Sakura parted her lips with a resort on the tip of her tongue but silenced her thoughts letting the comeback die where it lay. "…Hn."

"You sound too much like the Uchiha."

"And?"

Gaara frowned at her words and looked back towards the now empty battle field she would have to use in two matches. "Stop, I don't like it when you sound like the Uchiha. I…like it when you sound like you."

Sakura stiffened a bit and squeezed the arm she had been holding making it do numb in a matter of seconds. She was no expert when it came to human emotions but for some reason the tone of his voice scared her. Not in a bad way, like a tone full of killing intent. But his tone scared her in another way. A way she couldn't quite place.

An uneasy silence settled between the two and Sakura felt as if Gaara was waiting for her to say something. Se opened her moth but her voice failed her dieing before it was ever freed. She was scared. For the first real time in her life she was scared. Of course she was frightened every time her life was threatened but she figured that the worst thing that could happen to her was a semi death until the desired lavender moon came out. Then, everything would go back to the way things were. That was nothing like this.

Gaara turned to her fully and opened his moth preparing to say something when a loud noise from behind interrupted him. Sakura breathed a heavy sigh of relief thanking God that she didn't have to answer or reply to whatever her friend was about to say.

Sakura turned to see a mist chunin rubbing his head sheepishly with a pile of folding chairs in a pile at his feet. "So sorry about that." He stuttered out in a timid voice.

Sakura let her hardened emerald eyes size up the possible threat with deadly accuracy. He seemed to be only a few years older than her and two heads taller. Here Sakura cursed her lack of height. It was frustrating to have to keep looking up to people, it made her feel small and insignificant. He wore a hazy gray chunin vest with a short sleeved navy blue shirt and matching pants that tucked into his sandals. His mist hitai ate was tied securely around his forehead holding back his spiked navy blue hair.

"Uh no, it's no problem…" Sakura replied hesitantly trying to ignore the intense blood lusting glare Gaara was shooting the young man's way.

"Oh um… Are you Miss Sakura by any chance?"

Sakura slowly nodded her head suddenly on high alert. This man didn't look to young and he was already a chunin but he acted like a total klutz. There was something off about this guy.

"I'm here with a important message for you. The Mizukage himself wished to meet you in privet before your match with his son." He replied with a bright smile that suggested innocence.

_'He is not innocent.' _Okami growled baring her fang in Sakura's mind. Something about his scent and appearance just didn't sit right with the large white motherly wolf.

Sakura nodded mentally. 'But for now I'll have to play along. If I attack him just because I don't like the way he looked at me the village hidden in the leaves will have to suffer on my behalf. As for now I must honor the alliance between Mist and Leaf.'

"Okay!" Sakura energetically chirped making Gaara snap his head in her direction.

"Sakura what do you think you're doing?" He hissed grabbing her arm. A small shiver ran up her spin at the touch separated only by a thin layer of whit cloth. Why did that always happen whenever he touched her?

Sakura turned calmly towards him with arched eyes and gave a soft laugh. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." She whispered in an almost invisible voice that only Gaara could hear.

Gaara gave her a concerned look but let his hand fall away from her arm limply.

"Okay that I guess I should go with you Mr. ….?"

"O-oh I'm so s-sorry. Please forgive me, I seemed to have misplaced my manners Sakura san. My name is Tonkoro." The young teen stated rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

"Well Tonkoro, lead the way."

-

-

-

Naruto skipped up the steeps taking them two at a time despite the torn leg mussel that the medics said would take a week to fully heal.

"Hey, hey Gaara! I won my match! Did you see e. I beat that dog baka to a pulp and he was still talking about going easy on me after I was finished with him! Can you believe that?"

Gaara turned around slightly and frowned at the annoying sound of Naruto's voice. "Must you be so loud after being injured after a serious battle?" He asked seriously.

"Nah, what do you mean?" Naruto asked confused.

"Never mind."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and looked around the small waiting balcony he was sharing with the rest of the Sand genin. The leaf genin had their own box but Naruto and Sakura had agreed to hang out with Gaara in the Suna balcony.

Two of the three Mist genin were waiting in an opposite balcony directly opposite from the Sand. The leaf box was directly opposite from the Kage box where the Mizukage and Hokage were seated.

"Hey Gaara…" Naruto spoke after a quick glance around the small room lacking the other two Sand Shinobi and Kunoichi.

"What is it Naruto."

"Where is Sakura chan."

Gaara flinched inwardly cursing. He was really trying not to worry too much about the pink haired Kunoichi that made his stomach twist up in knots every time she smiled his way. But the way Naruto had asked him… it was if the blond haired boy was accusing him of killing her and locking the body in his closet.

"She went on a walk."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and glared at his friend in a serious manner. "Where did she go Gaara?"

Gaara kept his eyes on the empty battle field and dared not look at the boy for fear of reveling the truth through his sea foam green eyes. "I told you Naruto. Sakura went on a walk."

"That's bull and you know it. Sakura chan wouldn't go on a walk right before Sasuke's match. You see how she was cheering you and me on when it was out turns. Now where is she."

"…" Gaara did not reply.

Naruto grew angry and grabbed Gaara's shoulder spinning the red head around to face him. "Where is she Gaara."

The scarlet haired teen looked over Naruto slit cerulean blue eyes and nodded his head slightly. He might be killed after he told his friend this but then he might be killed if he didn't tell him anything.

"After your match ended a chunin from the mist summoned her on special request from the Mizukage himself. She left with the chunin a few minuets before you popped up."

"The…Mizukage…? Why would the riler of the village hidden in the mist want to talk to Sakura chan before her match?" Naruto asked calming down and releasing Gaara's shoulder.

"Think for once. Who is Sakura fighting?"

Naruto paused thinking for a moment before answering. "A boy named Aoi I think."

"Did you know that boy 'Aoi' is the son of the Mizukage and the future ruler of the village hidden in the waves. Sakura is fighting the son of a Kage and so I can only guess he wants to talk to her about that."  
Naruto blinked processing the information. "Oh that's all." He sighed with a bright smile folding his hands behind his head in a car free fashion showing that he had not the slightest worry about his pink haired friend.

The red haired sand wielder of Suna nearly fell over and in truth if he were any lesser man he would have. Why didn't he just tell her that Sakura was taking a walk into the mouth of one of Orochimaru's summoned serpents that was in a particularly hungry mood and see if the boy's reaction was any different.

"Baka…"

"What! You too? Gaara why would you call me an idiot like that. Right after my big win too! Get enough of that from Sasuke teme and now you too? I though we were friends I though you understood me." The fox container whined letting his hands fall out from behind his head and his shoulders slump.

"Do you even know what everything I told you means." Gaara asked calmly with half lidded eyes.

"Yeah Sakura is going to talk to the guy's father-."

"No!"

"But that's what you told me! Why did you lie?"

Gaara decided to have one of his rare moments and prove to the world that he was in fact completely and utterly 100 human. He slapped himself in the face out of frustration. Since it was to fast and completely unexpected his sand did not rect.

"Let me put it this way. The Mizukage needs his son to win this match so he can advance in his ranks and eventually take the position of Kage. If Sakura were to beat him in this match all his plans for his son would be throw down the drain. He's going to either ask Sakura to throw the match or…"

"Or what?" Naruto asked in a frightened tone fearing the worst. For once the gear in his mind were clicking and turning in all the right ways allowing him to think clearly.

"Or they'll force her to throw the match…"

-

-

-

Sakura frowned when they turned right down a hallway. The whole arena was built in a box like formation with a balcony on each side of the box. The Kage box at the top, the Leaf at the bottom, the Sand to the right, and the Mist to the left. In order to get to the balcony the Kage stand was to the right of the Suna box making it so that she would have to take three lefts to reach the desired location. The fact that they were taking a right proved her theory that it was a set up.

"You know Sakura san, the Mizukage is a really great guy." Tonkoro stated in a carefree tone not bother to look behind him to see if Sakura was listening. She was walking behind him and that was all he needed to know.

"Really, is that so…?" Sakura lazily replied in an airy tone.

"Yeah and he really loves his son, he has the guys future all planed out and everything. Right down to the last day of his life… "

"Lucky him."

"…He really wants to see that those plans are followed out perfectly."

Sakura glared at the change I the voice of the teen in front of her. It was no longer innocent.

"And in order for those plans to succeed…you mustn't."

Sakura had no time to dodge or react as Kunai was thrust into her chest slightly off to the left. Crimson colored blood squirted from the wound and leapt from the opening to land on his jacket.

"You bastard…" Sakura coughed with wide eyes as her body began to tremble.

"I'm very sorry about this Sakura san, but there can be no chances when it comes to the future of the Mist." Tonkoro replied with a small frown. "I'm not to fond of killing but it must be done."

"Likewise…" Sakura coughed with narrowed eyes that promised pain as she stumbled back against the wall.

"But for you I'll make an exception…"

Tonkoro stepped back and let his eyes widen for a number of reasons. 

Her voice had changed to a dark malevolent growl filled with bloodlust and a thirst for death. Her body did not shake but instead tensed up like a drawn bowstring ready to strike at any given moment with the swiftness and speed no human should possess.

But what frightened the male the most had to be her eyes. If her voice had changed to a dark malevolent growl filled with bloodlust and a thirst for death her eyes had filled with a demonic evil full of savage brutality, completely void of all mercy or remorse. Two slit forest green eyes stared back at him in an animalistic fashion filled with power and rage.

"It's about time you died…"

----

Please Review! Flames are welcome ( I mean it, I don't mind them) Once again I'm sorry for my slow updating but at least I'm updating right? I was thinking about no continuing it but since you guys liked it so much I've gotten this far. Thank you for your reviews!

ja ne!


	15. Start

Yes, I am updating this before Pages of Ecstasy since my stupid computer has been giving me a flipping hard time about publishing and updating my stories lately. So if this goes well I plan on updating Pages of Ecstasy…tomorrow. That story is like my baby so I'm really nervous about how it will be excepted and liked. So you can have that to look forward to. And since this is up (hopefully) I can update it!

As always please read enjoy and review Thank you for your reviews I love them all dearly! Flames are welcome to tell me how bad this story is in your eyes. I'm always up for improvement and I love feedback on how I can improve. And yes I'm working on my grammar. --

"I do not own Naruto. Yes you read that tight I do not own Naruto so stop thinking I do.

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Recap: 

Tonkoro stepped back and let his eyes widen for a number of reasons.

Her voice had changed to a dark malevolent growl filled with bloodlust and a thirst for death. Her body did not shake but instead tensed up like a drawn bowstring ready to strike at any given moment with the swiftness and speed no human should possess. But what frightened the male the most had to be her eyes. If her voice had changed to a dark malevolent growl filled with bloodlust and a thirst for death her eyes had filled with a demonic evil full of savage brutality, completely void of all mercy or remorse. Two slit forest green eyes stared back at him in an animalistic fashion filled with power and rage._"It's about time you died…"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

**START**

**-**

Sakura smiled widely feeling her canines extend outward perturbing into a pair of, wolfishly, savage fangs that begged for fresh flesh to fall pray to their hungry bite. She ran a rough tongue over her brightly gleaming fangs feeling their smooth texture much to her delight. 

Her mask began to rip around the mouth area reveling her razor sharp canines to her opponent who shock in shock.

Her Psychotically wide smile grew even wider in delight at the obvious fear her appearance sent into her opponent.

Even after staying away from her mountain domino she still had it. The ability to strike fear into her attackers with a simple look. Okay so it was a slightly mutated look but it was a look all the same.

Her bright emerald eyes were now small black slits on a forest green canvas of eye. She blinked once letting her long dark lashes descend over her widely observing eyes. Everything was so much more focused and every small detail that once escaped her notice was not bright and bold in her gleaming wolfish forest green eyes.

"_I think it was '_I'm not to fond of killing but it must be done_' if I'm not mistaken_." Sakura all but growled arching her back and lifting her shoulder up while lowering her neck forward in a very intimidating manner.

_"Was that it or did I get it messed up?"_

The frightened male stepped back a few steps in fear. The poor guy was frozen stiff in terror, horror, and panic. Sakura could see his chest rising up and down with every rapid heartbeat his body channeled.

"Wh-what the h-hell a-are y-yo-you?" He stuttered out tripping over his words as his tongue grew slack and unreliable with trepidation just like all those who were unfortunate enough to stumble into her mountain.

_"…A monster."_

_-_

_-_

_-_

"Damn it Gaara why do you have to always talk in riddles?" The golden haired fox container shouted over his slightly bruised shoulder as he weaved around a group of Leaf observers.

Gaara growled and followed suite at a slightly slower pace. He wasn't used to running so much like this since his sand would take him anywhere he wanted in a thoughts time. Aside from that he did not have Naruto's speed or energy. Heck he didn't think anyone had Naruto's energy.

"I told you it was no riddle! A genin could have red the meaning under my words."

"I am a genin Gaara!" Naruto shouted over his shoulder once again.

"Che." Gaara lamely replied twisting around another corner with Naruto leading the way. He should have known it would have taken his friend a decade to solve his words with the size of his brain.

Naruto ignored the lack of a comeback and huffed in annoyance at scanning another wing with no sigh of Sakura. His mind began thinking up the worse possibilities for his female teammate. "Crap what if Sakura chan is hurt? What if they tried to kill her? What if they tried to ra-"

"Finish that sentence and you will find yourself without a tongue!" Gaara snarled trying to keep her voice from exploding too much. He dread to think that even possible.

"Damn it." Naruto cursed in frustration tightening his fists till his knuckles turned white.

He knew when Gaara made a point of avoiding sensitive conversation it was all very possible. He didn't like the idea of what he was thinking to be possible, with Sakura chan no less.

He knew Sakura was a greatly skilled fighter and a powerful Kunoichi but she was still a genin and that was one rank lower than chunin making her attacker he superior force. Would Sakura have enough skill and chakra to take on a ninja of a higher rank without getting injured too much?

Flashbacks of his pink haired teammate helplessly laying on the ground as the curse mark ravaged her body shot through his mind making him growl once again. What if that thing tried taking over her in a weakened state? It was still an mostly unknown curse so it was possible. If that happened Sakura would be helpless.

"We have to find Sakura chan!" Naruto cried shoving a man twice his size out of his way.

The red haired sand man growled darkly to himself as he pumped more energy into his legs to make him accelerate. "When I find that damn boy no peace treaty will be able to save his sorry ass."

-

-

-

'I think the shock alone was torture enough Okami, you can let the kid go now.' Sakura though lightly to the wild white mother wolf who was currently in control of her body.

Okami growled out viciously barring her sharp wolfish fangs in anger at the trebling male in front of her who was currently suffering from several minor cuts and bruises. The shock however would scar him for life. You don't look into a demon's eyes and come away unscarred. 

'For our sins we all should die, that's why there is mercy. Let the kid go, we have a match to win remember. It'll be starting any minuet now.' Sakura replied a little more desperate now.

Okami was, after all a demon and killing was in her blood, her nature her essence. Even though she was a bit more sensible than the rest of her kind there would always be that level of insanity in her make up.

Okami might even be a bit more savage than the rest of the demons when it came to Sakura being injured. There was a reason you didn't come between a mother bear and her cub, there was rarely a wrath like the wrath of a angered mother when her child was threatened.

'Come on we beat him up enough, we should go now.' She offered softly hoping to calm the white wolf demon down a bit. "We have to get back to the arena for out match Okami…'

Okami shuddered and retreated within the complex network of Sakura's subconscious releasing control of her body back to Sakura. _'…Yes, you're right. We should go before too many people smell the blood and hear the screams. Thankfully the runt picked a place that was fairly out of the way so no many people will know of this_.'

Sakura felt her dark forest green colored eyes fog up and return to their normal pupil size and bright apple green color as her frightening wolf like fangs retreated to normal sized canines.

Her mask was still mostly torn in the mouth area and she had no tie to fix it before her match with the son of the Mizukage. She could hear the cheers of Sasuke delivering the finishing blows to his opponent ending his match.

Huffing she tried patching up her mask as best she could to conceal her face when a throbbing her chest made her cry out in sudden pain and drop her arm limply to her side. Looking down she saw the sticky red liquid fro her wound running down over her breast and down her stomach.

"Great and I just had to wear white today , do you know how badly that will stain? I don't think I'll ever be able to get those stains out." Sakura huffed trying to ignore to pain from her wound.

Her body felt light as a warm nuzzle soothed her wound healing it. From experience The rosette haired female knew it was Okami who was healing her wound. "Thank you Okami." She thanked with a small smile.

"You should know by now you do not need to thank me for such things." Okami replied continuing to gradually and cautiously sew up her bleeding wound centimeter by centimeter.

Sakura squeaked when Okami stopped on a certain spot. "What is it? Is it really bad?"

"…Yeah. This is bad, he hit a major muscle, your left arms will be almost completely useless for at least another hour or so. I'm afraid that cancels out half of your attacks for this match." Okami replied gravely.

"That rules out almost all my ninjusts and genjutsu since it requires two hands, all I have left is a bit of my taijutsu. Okami, that's my weakest area! How am I going to be able to fight this guy?" Sakura cried out in panic at the now hopeless situation.

Sakura looked down at her limp looking arm and grimaced at the way it looked compared to her opposite arm. There was a light purplish blue tint seeping into her skin's color making it's immobility obvious.

There went her hope of bluffing her lack of injuries and scaring her opponent off. Since he hired a assailant to fight dirty for him Sakura guessed that this son of the Mizukage was quite a coward.

"You have your scrolls right?" Okami asked trying to calm the panic in Sakura's voice.

"Yeah…they're all right here? What do you want me to do with them?"

"Pick up the grey one, you're going to use this is to win your fight today."

"What is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

-

-

-

Sasuke stepped into his balcony expecting to see Sakura and Naruto waiting for him there but was surprised to find neither of his two teammates waiting for him.

His hair was a bit ruffled from being trapped in a water prison for a maximum of thirteen seconds. His cloths had dried but were very wrinkled and covered in dust from the end of his battle.

Sasuke scanned the area again and found his lazy sensei reading from his perverted book again.

"Kakashi, where are Sakura and Naruto?" He asked in a gruff voice with a bit of irritation on finding the area empty. The youngest Uchiha brushed a bit of dust off his shoulder while turning around hoping to find one of them coming back from the bathroom or something.

The silver haired copy cat ninja looked up from his little orange book revealing a lone coal colored eye to study the avenger. "Sakura and Naruto are in the Suna balcony as far as I know…"

"What are they doing there?" Sasuke all but spat while putting the pieces of a puzzle together in his mind. No doubt there were hanging out with the read haired badger freak.

"…Gaara invited them." Kakashi lazily replied appearing to miss the distaste in Sasuke's tone.

"Hn." Sasuke grumbled turning on his heel and heading out of the mostly empty box. The rest of the Leaf genin were either in the infirmary or watching the rest of the fights from the stands with family and friends.

"Where are you going Sasuke?" Kakashi asked closing his book and looking up in surprise.

"Where else, I'm going to find the dobe and my teammate."

-

-

-

"I don't think she came back here, Naruto. We should go back out and search for her some more." Gaara huffed stepping into the Suna balcony behind a madly gasping blond haired fox container.

The addressed Shinobi turned around slightly and frowned. "I don't get it. We searched everywhere for her excluding the Kage box… You don't think they really did take her to see the Mizukage do you?"

"No…" The red haired sand wielder huffed crossing his arms over his chest. "There just wasn't right about the guy that came to fetch Sakura. And by the looks of it Sakura felt it too. There was defiantly foul play."

Naruto sighed deeply and leaned against the wall with a downcast look on his features. "What are we going to do about this then? We can't find Sakura and it's almost her turn to go up."

"I know, I know. Just give me a minuet to think." Gaara replied watching as Naruto got up and leaned over the end of the balcony to get a better look at the battle arena and gasp in surprise.

"We don't have a minuet Gaara. Sasuke's match is already over and Sakura's opponent is already on the field!" The energetic blue eyed boy cried panicking a little bit at the present situation.

Gaara cursed softly to himself before joining Naruto to observe to field. "This is bad, we don't know where she is and her time is almost out."

"Time is almost out for who?" Someone asked in a dark voice behind the two.

Gaara and Naruto turned around to find Sasuke standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Sasuke teme!' Naruto exclaimed.

"What are you doing in the Suna box?" Gaara asked suspiciously.

"I came here to see Naruto and Sakura but as I can see only Naruto is here." Sasuke relied coolly scanning the small balcony with his dark coal colored Uchiha eyes before speaking again. "Where is Sakura?"

Neither Naruto nor Gaara dared answer him as the announcer called out behind them.

"Last call, Sakura Hana of the hidden leaf village."

-

-

-

The board Leaf instructor raised his hand preparing to appoint the son of the Mizukage the win when a gust of wind made him stop. Looking to his right he saw a hunched body that looked as if it just landed.

"Oh no, please don't throw away my match just like that. I wouldn't want to disappoint to Mizukage to be now would I?" Sakura asked in a teasing manner raising to her feet while keeping her head bent so that it was constantly in shadow.

_"I'm all fired up and ready for a decent fight after all."_

-

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* * *

I know Gaara is a bit OOC in this chapter but it's fan fiction so he can be hugging teaddy bears and licking lollypops if I want so ha! Isn't that scary? 

But yeah this story is wrapping up. I hope to have it done well before X-mas since there are only a few more chapters to go. I'm sorry for the crappy-ness of this chapter and the grammer mistakes I know are in there. It's really rushed.

Please review!

Ja ne

(Also for all the saints out there if it's not too much. Stop by and cheek out my newest story Swing Life Away.)


	16. A storm's begining

Almost... there...Ony a few more chapters till I'm done with this!

Please read and review and even flame if you want. I do not own the (oh so cool) Naruto universe. Gosh how many times do I have to say it?

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

A storm's Begining

The hand in front if her was lowered and somewhere in the back of her head Sakura heard the distant echo of 'Begin' ring around her and her edgy opponent who stood ready and equip in front of her.

She dared not make the first move, she knew it would be a foolish thing to do in her condition. Her eyes were still concealed in the darkness much to her liking as she watched the two shimmering orbs of indigo blue pools that belonged to her opponent. You could tell too much about a person from their eyes. That was why she choose to keep her own hidden.

The male in front of her didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon so Sakura decided to make him move. Thrusting her body forward she leapt towards the boy in what looked like a kick but was really only a move to make him react.

'_He's either avoiding me on purpose from fear or studying and analyzing me from afar and preparing an attack plan._' Sakura thought communicating with the motherly wolf inside her head.

'_Don't underestimate him just because he sent a hit man after you. He is after all the son of the most powerful man in Waves and has most likely been taught by only the best_." Okami replied in a warning tone.

'_Then that makes two of us._'

"_Just don't ahead of yourself just because you have me here. Remember you are injured and not at your full strength. It will be harder to wield with only one arm and I had to use quite a bit of chakra to work on your arm. With only one mobile limb and half of your chakra reserves you are hardly at the top of your game.' _Okami replied in a warning tone as eight of her busy white tails ruffled at the thought of her daughters blood staining the ground.

'_Good thing I have you then.' _Sakura joked with a smile.

.' 

Sakura smiled and tried to roll her injured shoulder only to wince in pain from the wound. Instead of an upper body attack she opted for of using her lower body.

"Sand still and die runt." She growled landing a foot away from where the boy used to stand. He was no currently back flipping away in an attempt to put as much distance between himself and his opponent.

"Coward." She seethed deciding to attack him anyway.

No wonder he needed an assassin to kill her before the match. At the rate this kid was going he would never become the Kage of his homeland in the ever rolling waves in Mist.

The petal hared Kunoichi tossed a few sharpened kunai at where the boy was about to land and to her amazement he deflected them with what looked like a sword of pike made out of water.

She smirked reaching for her scroll. "So you like to fight with weapons, two can play at that game."

"Ha you're unarmed fool, and even if you weren't you wouldn't be any match against my Mizu blade." He sneered back in a snotty manner eyeing her up and down. "I've been watching you and I can see you are injured and not at full chakra capacity. You can't win."

"Yeah wonder how that happened." She mumbled under her breath rolling her eyes.

"Shut up and die." Her opponent roared pulling back his large blade and running forward with it, preparing his body for the impact he hoped to achieve in his attack.

"Baka Yaro." Sakura hissed reaching behind her and grasping her gray scroll with one hand and her shirt with the other. It was wet from her wound and interfering with her movements.

Back flipping out of the way of his wide attack Sakura ripped off her blood stained shirt and pulled out her gray scroll, swiping a certain area with her blood dipped thumb.

"Die!" He screamed bringing his enlarged sword down on top of her head.

-

-

-

A large cloud of dust sprang up from the earth where Sakura used to stand and for a solid twelve seconds you couldn't see anything. The crowds were crying out in panic at not being able to see what was going on.

"What's that there!" Naruto cried when his highly trained eyes began to pick up a flickering shadow.

Sasuke narrowed his blood red eyes dotted with black commas like markings. "It's not over." He coolly stated not even blinking in surprise when the dust cleared to reveal an unscratched Sakura holding back the attacking weapon.

"Hn." Gaara merely replied holding back a smirk at how strong _his _girl was.

Sasuke seemed to stiffen at Gaara though and growled. "Don't get too comfortable Gaara. You don't own anything yet."

"That's what you would like to think Uchiha." Gaara replied not making a move to turn around and face the dark haired male with blazing blood red eyes boring into the back of his head.

"Keep telling yourself that. Sooner or later you and your family have to go back to Suna and guess who isn't coming with you." Sasuke hissed with a small smirk at his own words.

Gaara growled at the truth behind his words but did not reply.

"Ah hey, hey, hey! Look at that, look at what Sakura has!" Naruto cried breaking the red haired boy's concentration.

-

-

-

Sakura grunted under the stain that was being forced down upon her but spread her legs and pushed up against the overpowering force with chakra streaming through her arm's mussels and hands.

"What the-?" Her opponent cried seeing what he was bearing down on.

"Weaponless huh? I guess you didn't see wolf bane did you." Sakura hissed pushing harder against his Mizu sword. With a loud cry she flung the weapon off of her own and took a leap backwards bringing her dark colored blade behind her.

Sakura flipped her hair behind her shoulder with a flick of the neck and grinned, now standing in a black tube top with one strap starching front her front right side to her back left side. The bottom of her mask lifted upward just a bit in the breeze reveling her chin for a split second before it was concealed again. Sakura frowned at this in her mind. Her mask was coming undone and at the rate she was going it would most likely fall off sometime during her battle.

In her hands Sakura held a long thick scythe with a knife at the bottom and on the opposite side of the silver colored blade. The trimming around the blade resembled vines almost and starched down the length of her pole ending in an ornate design around the bottom's knife. The blade it's self was almost as long as the girl who was holding it and sharpened to perfection with a sinful gleam begging for blood.

Sakura swung the blade around her body bringing it over her hand and pivoted towards the male in a graceful attempt to catch him in her blade's deadly embrace.

The male brought his blade up stopping her scythe from chopping of his head and began to spin towards Sakura with a fist ready to bury it's self in her face. Sakura drew back and swung her blade around her to block the water sword's attack.

"I see now, you had your weapon ready and waiting for you in that gray scroll of yours. What puzzles me is this: the scroll you had would be used for a single object of small mass. Your weapon is in no ways small and I can't believe that it is the only thing in a scroll so thick in size."

"Then you'll find out." Sakura hissed drawing her chakra out of her weapon letting it, to the amazement of the crowd, shrink three or four sizes to the length of her leg. Small enough to swirl out of the sword's hold and allow Sakura to skid backwards and arch forward, trying to take a swing at his legs.

He easily avoided her attack by jumping over the blade but had to relinquish him opening at her head.

"As you can see my wolf bane is no ordinary weapon. I can make it as small as a pin or as large as a house if I push enough chakra into it." Sakura explained pushing a bit more of her chakra into her weapon making it grow back to the size it was when she first summoned it.

"It won't help you if you make it as big as the Hokage monument, you'll still loose to me Pinkie." He hissed.

"Who are you calling pinky you idiot?"

"Who are you calling an idiot short stuff!"

Sakura seethed at the insult. It was a fact that Sakura was short ever for her age of thirteen (and ¾), she was shorter than most girls and Okami told her that her mother was a short woman and would mostly pass on her genes of shortness to her daughter. The fact that she would most likely stay short became engraved in her mind as a very bad thing and so being insulted about it for the first time in her life so openly really pushed her off the edge.

_'Easy Sakura, he's baiting you. Don't let him get the better of you, control yourself and your emotions.' _Okami instructed in a soothing voice trying to calm the rage in Sakura's hear the clouded her mind and better judgment just like her opponent wanted.

'_He's dead, one arm or not I'm grinding that smug little face of his into the dirt._' Sakura snarled back in response before lunging forward with that intention in mind. The warning voice of the large white wolf in her mind going unheard.

The male in front of her smiled, or more liked smirked, seeing her come his way in blind rage and held up his mizu sword, hiding a mizu dagger behind his back ready for a sneak attack.

Sakura roared and swung her weapon against his sword meeting it with a ringing clang sound as she tried to force her body weight against it and make his own blade bite the dust.

She gasped out in surprise when she caught the glimmer of his mizu dagger speeding towards her chest and with only a moment's though pulled almost all of her chakra out of her scythe, minimizing it to the side of a kunai, and pivoted away from his sneak attack.

Twirling around his shoulder Sakura brought one of her knees up to her chest and thrust her foot through her opponent's back only to succeed in getting her leg wet from the water clone she attacked.

"Ah crap." She muttered feeling to water around her one foot begin to take form and pull her up into the air with a sharp pain.

"Sorry pinky but you're gonna have to try harder than that to land a blow on me. You should have just given up when you first entered the arena. Even if you win against me you won't come out alive."

Sakura's eyes widened at his words. 'Even if you win against me you won't come out alive.' What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean I won't come out of here alive?" Sakura hissed in anger twisting her ankle out of his hold and landing a few feet away from him. "Tell me what you meant by that.

His shimmering indigo blue eyes seemed to sadden at whatever he was thinking and his shoulders slumped along with the rest of his posture. "I meant exactly what I said. Even if you win against me you won't come out alive. This battle is really nothing. I'm just another pawn…"

Something about his hallow tone and hopeless posture sounded the little red bells in her mind off and she began to panic. Something was not right with this picture. There was _something _wrong but as to what she did not know.

'_Sakura look out I a feel a large amount of chakra building up around us overhead and over by that wall-!" _Okami's warning came too late as a loud explosion rocked the arena and sent Sakura off her feet and into the dust.

"What was that?" She choked covering her eyes to prevent any more dust from staining her mostly blurred vision.

Once her narrowed forest green eyes adjusted she saw a red colored dome stretching over the arena's opening keeping anyone from getting in or more importantly, keeping her from getting out.

"What the heck is this?" She breathed out watching as a few leaf ninja tried to break through the red tinted barrier that seemed to be made out of chakra only to met with failure. "What is it doing?"

"Dear dear Sakura, you're such a smart girl. I though you would know by now that it's keeping you safe my little angel." A suckling sweet voice that reminded Sakura of oil sounded from behind the girl.

She froze as her emerald green eyes widened in shock with her pupils dilating to a much smaller size making them almost too tiny to see from a few feet away. She had her back turned to the explosion but she didn't need to be facing that voice to know who it was.

She knew all too well when the person behind her was just by the tone of his voice. A person she had hoped to forget and run away from by fleeing from her mountain.

'O-Okami…" she stuttered fearfully trying to make her body turn around enough to get a look at the in-human male behind her. "O-Okami…tell me this is not h-happening."

'Sakura get a hold of yourself! Don't let his voice make you nervous like this. Control your emotions, don't let them go.' Okami warned in a stern voice knowing it was hardest for Sakura to see the since in things at such a time as this.

'It's not….It's not him…He…he's not here… he can't be…" Sakura gasped out finding her lungs closing up and squeezing themselves in a painful manner that forced all her breath out.

'Sakura.'

"No… no, no, go away. Go away….go away" Sakura moaned falling to her knees and holding her head with her good hand, her scythe long forgotten at her side in the dirt.

"When it comes down to it…we're all pawns at the dispense of out superiors." The son of the Mizukage sad before materializing into a puddle of water scattered around the field.

Sakura could faintly hear the sound of ninjas banging against the blood colored red dome of chakra trying to get in somewhere off in the back of her mind as her body grew icy cold and began to shake beyond her control. A pathetic like whimper pierced her quivering lips from behind her bandages and her eyesight began to grow hazy and watery from her tears building up.

All the voices calling her name, even Okami, seemed to die down as she looked up at the man who had entered the arena only a few minuets ago in such flamboyant a way.

"Oh no, no dearest. Don't look at me like that Sakura" He laughed seeing the tears in her eyes and the quiver in her small body. "You stare at me as if I were a bad guy or something."

Sakura broke down and let her tears fall in fear, she couldn't take it anymore. "Go away…go away…just go away and leave me alone!" She cried screaming the last part in agony.

Out of all the people in the world this was the one she hope to never see again. He scared her so much to was painful to breath around him. One of the reasons for this was because she was so torn around him. She saw the goodness that could be but she also saw the devil he really was. Her soul ripping apart over just his appearance and voice was too much for her.

"No Sakura is that any way to talk to your father?" The man asked stepping down in front of her and smiling evilly at her distressed form, his ivory fangs shining with malice.

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I was going to stop here but I really want to finish this so…. ONWARD HO!

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A tall wall of sand came crashing down against the blood red colored barrier and was instantly reflected back once the tiny brown and gold grains met it's flawless surface.

"Chikusho!" Gaara cured when his third and forth attacks fame back with the same results as the first and second. "Nothing can break this barrier. We have to find the channeling points and cut it off there. Attacking it this was is only a waste of time and chakra."

"But we don't even know where those points are and Sakura really looks like she's in pain or freaked out real bad." Naruto whined drawing another kunai up in preparation to throw it.

"Shimatta." Sasuke cured jumping back form the licking orange red flames that he had launched at the dome only a few seconds ago and landing next to Naruto catching the end of his sentence.

"I know, I know, that's why we need to stop wasting out time with this and get to the channeling points and cut them off there." Gaara relied not even sparing the normal glare aimed towards the Uchiha.

"Then what are you two still doing here?" Sasuke hissed before jumping off towards the corner parts of the dome.

"Sasuke is right Gaara, I'm going to look for an opening myself, there should be two more. If we split up it will go faster okay." Naruto called before jumping off in another direction.

"This is not going well." Gaara mumbled before disappearing in a funnel of sand himself

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Sakura's father advanced upon her stepping out of the rising dust the reveal his full figure clothed in a pair of plane black pants and a long white jacket that reached his ankles in a flare. Three large straps stretched across his chest japing his jacket closed and his chest concealed.

His fiery reddish brown hair flapped in front of his eyes for a moment before sweeping away to let his saffron gold eyes shine brighter with the overflowing malice that matched his smile.

Sakura whimpered falling backwards and then tried to crawl away when her legs would no longer let her stand. "get away from me…Leave me alone…" She whimpered shaking even more.

Her father didn't stop advancing upon her and when he reached when she was standing bent down and grabbed her neck, pulling her off the ground with a choked sound. "You should have know I would never leave you alone for long. You have something I gave to you a long time ago and I want it back." He hissed raising his other hand to her face.

Sakura made a strangled sound as she tried to kick her father with her legs that were dangling inches above the ground. "St…stop…."

Her father made no indication that hinted to the fact that he heard her and began to draw chakra into his raised hand.

'_Okami stop him, help me get out of this!' _She cried within her mind.

'_I can't don anything aside from work through you, you'll need to get out of his hold before I can do anything for you_.' Okami replied with sadness obvious in her voice as she paced anxiously within Sakura's clouding mind.

'_But I can't do anything_!' Sakura cried with more tears streaming down her bandaged cheeks.

'_You have to get out of his hold!'_ Okami replied.

'

'Sakura-!'

The petal haired girl cried out in pain at the tattoo on her back began to respond to her father's hand and crawl up her back and slither over her shoulder towards her face.

"That's it, come back to your creator. I know you couldn't master it. If you had it would have been entwined into your chakra signature forever and I wouldn't have been able to take it back." He chuckled as her tattoo climbed up her face and began to burn through her mask.

"St…stop t…that." Sakura screamed in between her chokes as most of her bandages began to fall from her face. Soon her features were clearly visible, void of any bandages to hide behind.

"Only a little more…"

'_Sakura you need to break off now_!' Okami screamed in a most desperate tone.

"Almost there…"

'_Sakura, now_!'

Sakura hissed in an agitated manner bringing up her knees to dig her heels into her fathers chest knocking the air out of his lungs from the attack he never though her possible of in her current state. His hand around her neck released her and he moved to cradle her chest when Sakura saw her opening. Calling on the white wolf's chakra Sakura felt her wolf like fangs grin at the familiar feeling.

Like Naruto's whiskers and Gaara's dark rimed eyes the characteristic that Okami passed on through Sakura were her fangs. The was the main reason she wore a mask, so that no one would see her connection to the demon inside her. Despite that she really did love her fangs and her smile grew when she ran her tongue over the silver white teeth.

'Thank you Okami for the chakra boost.'

'About time you came to your scenes.'

'Thanks for helping me with that too.'

'Just kick his butt.'

'Will do.'

Sakura straightened herself ready for an attack when she saw something wrong with her father. Her tattoo was currently twisting around his hand and arm like some sort of pet as he chuckled evilly.

"I knew I would get it and look at me now, I have it." He boasted letting the black vines snake down his wrist and under his sleeve. "You are of no use to me now. So, just like your mother, you will be disposed of."

Sakura's eyes widened and her pupils shrunk into little slits, hints of cobalt blue began to stream into her emerald green orbs mixing them into a blue green color thanks to her demonic chakra.

"Take that back…" She hissed crouching down lower to the ground.

Her father simply smirked making no moment to do anything of the sort.

"Take it back now!" She cried lunging forward with her fangs bared and her claws extended in an intent to kill.

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I'm done. 

That and I started a form with info on a bunch of story ideas I have. Maybe one or two ideas that need to be adopted will be posted in the future but for now it's stories I have just started writing. So if you want to see that please go ahead. That and I'll put more info about this fic and it's updates on my profile page. Ideas are welcome!

If you haven't seen already Softer than Scarlet is on hold for a time. I will never abandon any of my stories but this one is just so hard to write at the moment so I'm taking a break for a little while. I'll update it sooner or later but I just need to give myself a break every now and then.

Please review!


	17. Sad Endings

AN:/ And this is where I beg for you to spend not even two minuets of your life and review.

Gosh school is totally evil…except for lunch. But yeah that is where I have been mostly this past few weeks. Sorry for the lack of updates and all that. I'll try to balance out homework and writing better in the future. Once again so very sorry.

Last chapter! I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed this and stuck through it even though it was so poorly written and crappy and all in all a work of junk. (cause that's what it is) So thank you.

After this there will be another chapter/mostly author note about this story being adopted. But that won't come out for a _long_ time. First, I want to finish it. So without further ado here it is.

(Oh and I don't own Naruto)

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Chapter Seventeen

Sad Endings

Recap

_Sakura's eyes widened and her pupils shrunk into little slits, hints of cobalt blue began to stream into her emerald green orbs mixing them into a blue green color thanks to her demonic chakra._

_"Take that back…" She hissed crouching down lower to the ground._

_Her father simply smirked making no moment to do anything of the sort._

_"Take it back now!" She cried lunging forward with her fangs bared and her claws extended in an intent to kill._

End Recap

Her father was ready for the burst of blind rage and easily pivoted out of the way using the back of his hand to knock her off course and send her straight into the filthy dust with ease. His saffron yellow eyes narrowed and his lips etched upward in an amused smile as he watched her climb back up to her feet and fly at him again only to meet with the same results.

He knew how much she loved her mother and respected he woman she never and would never meet or know. Saying something like that about her threw her into a blind fit and he knew it and used it to his advantage being the malicious man he was.

"Stand still and let me rip out your lungs." Sakura growled boning forward with her clawed hands digging deep into the earth getting ready to help propel her forward in another blind attack.

"So sorry Sakura chan but can't do that, if I did I could get hurt." He taunted evilly watching in glee as she snarled at his words.

"I'll kill you." She snarled viciously.

"I know you will." He coyly replied preparing to side step another one of her attacks.

Inside her mind Sakura was a mess. Not only were her emotions on fire with rage that clouded her vision in shades of red, but Okami had partly possessed Sakura in order to provide her with her outward appearance. When more than one person had to share control of a body it got complicated for anyone. And if that wasn't enough to drive her into madness her body was fighting back compulsions due to withdraw of the tattoo on her back. The one that was now on his arm.

"I'll kill you ad make you take back your words on dying lips." Sakura hissed launching forward this tome a bit slower so that she would be able to recover quicker when her father dodged like she knew he would.

'Good. You're thinking with your head now.' The once gentle, now alert voice of Okami purred gently in a more open part of her mind that Sakura had trouble distinguishing.

Her father anticipated her move and once again twisted out of the way only to grunt in surprise when Sakura did the same almost landing a lethal blow to his chest that would have killed him he hadn't pulled up his tattooed arm to block to attack.

Angered that she was regain control of her movements and actions he moved to kick her but Sakura clawed at his arm with both hands and lifter her small body up off the ground and over his head removing a bit of flesh with her claws as she landed behind him.

He hissed in pain but Sakura cut him off with a kick to the back that sent him flying forward. She had hoped to knock him off balance but her father was no pushover and easily regained his balance landing on his feet and turning quickly to unleash a barrage of sharpened kunai aimed for her unmasked face.

She growled when she saw his arm hel it's self ten times fasten than she and Okami could.

Sakura dropped to her stomach and rolled out of the way letting them sail harmlessly over her head before sprigging up and back into an attacking stance with a kunai draw and ready.

"I don't understand it. What happened to you to make you act this way?" Her father demanded drawing a kunai of his own and readying himself for his weapon to meet the cold metal of her own.

Sakura spread her legs out further widening her stance with agile legs bent forward, ready for action. "The answer to that is simple my dear Sir. The person who brought me to my scenes was _my_ _father_.

The Azure Dragon of the East

The Black Tortoise of the North

The White Tiger of the West

The Vermillion Bird of the South

All four are necessary to unlock a ancients possessing beast that will take over the body of it's host with false promises of power. Even before the first comes I contact with it's victim he or she will fell propelled to except it's promises of power wealth and prosperity that I reality is only a mass of darkly tainted lies.

Even before my birth he had a hold of you didn't he father?" Sakura asked loosing most of her demonic characterizes and falling out of her offences stance. Her voice seemed sad when she adressed her fahter.

Her father stiffened but relaxed with a coy smile that Sakura knew wasn't his own. "You always were a smart little brat but I doubt you figured that out on your own. Was it that pathetic wolf demon of yours that gave you the answers?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed and her lips twitched in a downward frown before replying. "No."

The man before her who was most defiantly not her father frowned at her answer. "No? Don't lie with me you little bitch. There is no way someone as young as you could know something so ancient without the help of one the ancients him or herself."

"I never said that I was the one who knew about you." The pink haired Kunoichi of leaf replied calmly loosing even more of her wolfish attributes until there was nothing left of them ever being there aside from her fangs that never left her.

Here long furry wolf ears were no longer a top her head but at her side looking completely normal. Her eyes were a dark emerald and no longer held any trance of the icy blue that belonged to Okami.

"Then how did you find out?"

Something in her emerald green eyes flashed a saffron yellow color before her lips moved in the utterance of her answer. "My father told me."

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_But through my tears breaks a blinding light_

_Birthing a dawn to this endless night_

_Arms outstretched, awaiting me_

_An open embrace_

Her father sat next to his daughter. She was in a garden filled with cherry blossoms. He was waiting for her on the same stone bench he had used before. She could see his face this time and she could not only tell but see he was smiling at her.

She walked over to him and climbed onto the bench beside him. She felt warm and peaceful around him. He smiled down at her and pulled her onto his lap in a hug. She was no longer a little girl but her father was a rather big man so it was no trouble for him.

She remembered this place from her dream oh so many years ago when the no longer mysterious man came to comfort her in one of her lowest moments.

"I've missed you." Sakura mumbled softly not opening her eyes. She knew where she was and she knew who she was with.

"I've missed you too. All the time." He answered with a soft gentle tone nothing like the man she had been fighting used. Her father's voice was so much more calming and loving like a father's voice should.

"I'm so small here." She whispered with a half smile as Sakura petals drifted through the white clean air around the pair before floating down.

"You're so much bigger than I remembered." He spoke to her in comforting words stroking her soft silky pink locks that brushed over her ears as she rested her not so tiny pink haired head against his chest. A small laugh echoed behind his words as he smiled.

"I'm still so small for a girl my age. I don't think I'll grow much more than this." She replied calmly not bothering to move an inch out of her comfort zone.

"You're mother was a very short woman, but she wouldn't let me call her that. She was technically a petite woman." Her father replied with a chuckle at the though of his wife beating him up on the their or forth date after he teasingly called her short.

Sakura stiffened a bit as her shoulders tensed like a drawn bowstring. "I don't want to do it." She almost sobbed thinking about what she would soon have to go through. "I just found you. I don't want to loose-"

"You won't."

Sakura stopped and snapped her neck back so that she could see his calm almond brown eyes that held no trace of malice or evil intentions. Her own eyes pleaded with unshed tears still resting at the coroners of her long dark lashes. "How can you ask something like this of me?"

"I've bee with you all these years and that won't change after you do this. I know you can baby girl."

_Rest in me and I'll comfort you_

_I have lived and I died for you_

_Abide in me and I vow to you_

_I will never forsake you_

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Gaara and Naruto met up once again with Sasuke jumping down next to them.

"Damn you too?" Naruto asked seeing his dark haired teammate come back empty handed as well.

Sasuke shook his head and growled in annoyance. "Almost everyone has evacuated and Kakashi tried to get me to leave as well. It's too hard to find anything in this chaos but I don't want to leave it up to the older Jonin and chunin.

"It's not fair, Sakura is our teammate we should e the ones to save her." Naruto complained casting a nervous glance over at his battling friend.

Gaara grunted and Naruto laughed nervously. "Well you're her friend so you count too."

The red haired sand man seemed content with that but Sasuke looked anything but.

"Can't we have one exam without idiots trying to take over our village?" He growled glaring darkly at the barrier that would not budge or crack for him or his most powerful attacks. Why was he always so powerless at times like these? He needed more power.

"I think I can see Sakura down there." Naruto called out leaning over the balcony's railing and pointing to the upright figure that was mostly shadowed by the barrier's color so that they could barely make her out.

Gaara and Sasuke both joined him leaning as far over as the barrier would allow to see why they could on the other side.

"Who's that other man?" Gaara asked darkly seeing a kunai in his hands or at least a sharp object that could injure his precious cherry blossom Kunoichi.

"I don't think it's the Mizukage's son. He's way to tall and bulky." Sasuke determined seeing the obvious differences between the two males.

"The who is it?" Gaara all but growled out becoming even more angry than normal.

"How the hell should I know. I want to see as much as you do." Sasuke hissed back with a venomous sneer aimed at the sand loving Shinobi.

"Shut up you two, there're moving!" Naruto all but screamed out pointing to the small of the two shadows as it sprang forward with the larger one doing the same.

'Sakura chan you better come out alive.' Gaara though with his voice trapped in his throat at the idea of his Kunoichi being harmed without him being there to protect her from any and all danger that dared to oppose God's perfect creation.

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Sakura let her Kunai bring against the side of her opponent's other as the two leaned in pushing all their body weight against one another. Sakura being the physically weaker of the two knew she would fall so she recoiled her body and threw her curled up body at his knees.

The man before her jumped out of the way to avoid loosing his balance and let his kunai fly through the air nicking her ribcage as she climbed to her feet.

"I don't care how much you know about me. I have already absorbed the last of The Vermillion Bird of the South completing the requirements for my release. Even if I don't kill you I still win. Either way you loose you little brat."

Sakura huffed grabbing her side and straightening herself. "Not if I kill you I don't."

The red haired man before her threw his head back and laughed with mirth at her words. "Oh as if you could. I'm on par with Okami and the Kitsune. You can't hope to kill me with your minimal amount of power."

"Don't underestimate me." Sakura hissed standing up straight and bringing her palms together with a hard look in her eyes. "Harai Youkai. Demon purification." She shouted letting her hands fly through the seals Okami and her father had taught her together.

"You baka, that won't work on me without an flesh opening." He sneered jumping back and grabbing a handful of shuriken read to fly through the air and attack it's target.

"I told you not to underestimate me." Sakura growled with a sly smile.

"Bitch I've had enough of you and your tricks." He screamed letting his metal ninja stars fly and land in various places over Sakura's body.

He smiled seeing her surprised look as blood jumped from her lips and her body bleed the sticky red substance that used to give her life. His smile however faded when her body fell backwards and dissolved into a funnel of cherry blossom petals.

"What a decoy?" He cried in surprise as his mind when back and looked over had hand signs that did not match up with what she had said.

"I told you not to underestimate me." Sakura sneered appearing from behind him and dragging a kunai across his back not too deep but deep enough to provide a opening for her attack. "Now this time for real, "Harai Youkai. Demon purification." She shouted letting her hands fly through the real seals that were a lot more complex than the original ones."

"You bitch!" The demon possessing her father's body snared falling forward as a light blue light shot out of his back from the cut she had placed there only a moment ago. "You bitch, you damn bitch, I'll haunt you forever and ever. You'll never be free from killing your own father!" He screamed falling to the ground and writhing as his tattoos screamed and burst into flames of holy fire.

"I know. But I would rather kill him than let him live in the agony you forced upon him." Sakura replied calmly watching his body begin to disappear into dust at her feet.

You. His words were never finished as the wind of his barrier disappearing blew what was left of him away.

Sakura's vision blurred as a pair of diamond colored tears tore down her cheeks cleaning away the dirt that was caked on from her earlier fight. She didn't sob or wail or even move. She just stood there as her tears fell. Off from her chin and stained the ground around her feet.

She could hear people rushing into the arena and towards her now that the barrier was gone.

"Okami…I don't feel so well. What have I done?"

'_You did the right thing.'_

"It doesn't feel like it."

'_I rarely dose.'_

Sakura's eyes closed and her body quivered pitching forward as blood dribbled down her lips as her form pitched forward falling in exhaustion and pain from her tattoo old and it's withdraw.

Shadows fell around her and voices blurred into one noise as she felt arms pick her up and carry her away as she tipped over the edge of consciousness.

'Don't worry I won't let you die.' Okami cooed as darkness of a deep slumber claimed her.

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There it is and no Sakura chan did not die.! Ha yes woho! I dance for joy….until you come at me wanting to kill me for the crappy chapter and it's ending. (Cower behind a Pocky stand) ((Do they even have Pocky stands, if they don't they should.)) 

I know it's bad but as I have said before I really don't like this story and couldn't come up with the time to write anything better. And now with School it turned in to a loosing battle so I decided to end it here. There will be another chapter even though it is now counted as completed stating that the story is up for adoption. (Except for the title. I keep the title.) Umm but yeah that will not happen for a few months.

Well you lovely wonderful people it is now time for you to review. Oh please do!

I need some sleep.

REVIEW

ja ne you lovely people 


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